The coronavirus in Baden-Württemberg has fatal effects on retail.
In Aalen there is now protest against the ongoing lockdown - in an unusual way.
Aalen - The coronavirus in Baden-Württemberg (BW24 * reported) had and is having fatal effects on the economy * in the southwest.
The retail sector is particularly hard hit.
Due to the lockdown that has been in place since December, retailers have had to close their stores for several weeks for the second time since the outbreak of the coronavirus in Baden-Württemberg *.
In December, many people lost their income from the Christmas business as a result of this measure.
The lockdown was recently extended to March 7th *, but hairdressers are allowed to reopen as early as the end of February.
However, there is still no clear perspective for retailers in the country.
Due to the current situation due to the corona virus in Baden-Württemberg, many livelihoods in retail are threatened.
The trade association feared in the run-up to the shutdown that in the worst case, 12,000 traders would not survive the lockdown *.
A few days ago, Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) * named a specific point in time for the opening of trade, but a little later he rowed back again.
A protest action is now attracting attention: The Baden-Württemberg Prime Minister and Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) are currently receiving packages from frustrated dealers in Aalen (Ostalbkreis) every day, as reported by
Südwestrundfunk
(SWR).
Coronavirus in Baden-Württemberg: There is resistance to the lockdown in retail
The traders from Aalen are not the first to take action against the measures to protect against the corona virus in Baden-Württemberg.
Several traders started a real wave of lawsuits *.
The department store chain Breuninger from the state capital Stuttgart * wants to force an opening of the branches, for example in court, and the family business Riani from Schorndorf (Rems-Murr-Kreis *) also submitted an urgent application to the administrative court in Mannheim last Wednesday.
However, the retailers in Aalen are not taking legal action, but have started a much more creative protest action against the corona-related closings.
In protest against the ongoing shop closings, dealer Alfred Krauss from Aalen sends two parcels of winter goods every day that he can no longer sell, as the
SWR
reports.
For example, Winfried Kretschmann received a white winter blanket and the Chancellor a red one.
With the campaign, however, Krauss does not want to get rid of its goods, but rather set an example.
Other traders from the city have already followed this example.
In the meantime, at least twenty parcels with goods that can no longer be sold are sent to Stuttgart and Berlin every day.
Coronavirus in Baden-Württemberg: Prostest in Aalen - "the small retail trade is simply going under"
During the lockdown due to the corona virus in Baden-Württemberg, many catering establishments were forced to switch to take-away.
This is often not an option for retailers either, and online shipping is often not a solution for small businesses due to the huge competition, including from Amazon.
That is why pralines, tea biscuits and beer not served from Aalen go to the state and federal capital.
Trader Inge Drabek also sends winter clothing to the Chancellery every day, as the
SWR
reports.
She doesn't understand why she isn't allowed to open her little boutique.
From their point of view, two to three customers could easily be there with enough distance.
The frustration continues to grow, especially among the smaller retailers in Baden-Württemberg.
“I always have the feeling that the big ones are noticed.
But the good, small retail trade just goes under, ”said Inge Drabek.
According to his own statements, Alfred Krauss also sees no pandemic reason why the retail trade should remain closed.
"We watch out, we keep our distance, we have masks," said the trader from Aalen.
The dealers do not know what happens to the mailings to Winfried Kretschmann and Angela Merkel.
According to information from the
SWR
, however, the packages are sent back to the sender.
The Aalen retailers do not give up, however, and want to continue sending parcels to Stuttgart and Berlin.
* BW24
is part of the Ippen-Digital network
.