Can the capital's shops hope for booming business again before the second Christmas after the start of the corona pandemic?
The Berlin-Brandenburg trade association is cautiously optimistic.
Managing Director Nils Busch-Petersen told the German Press Agency that many customers are currently still reluctant for legitimate epidemiological and medical reasons.
Berlin - Many would also use online trading.
But brick-and-mortar retail has a decisive advantage in the Christmas business.
Customers can see what they like in the store and take the goods straight away, said Busch-Petersen.
At Christmas in particular, we will see how online retail can keep up.
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An increase in sales could bring retailers two open Sundays during the Christmas season.
They are approved for the 2nd Advent (December 5th) and 4th Advent (December 19th).
However, the shops are only allowed to open on these days if at least three of the five largest Christmas markets take place on the Advent Sundays as planned.
It provides for a general decree of the Senate Administration for Integration, Labor and Social Affairs.
The Christmas markets at Charlottenburg Palace, the Memorial Church (Breitscheidplatz), the Gendarmenmarkt, the Rotes Rathaus and the Spandau Citadel are decisive.
However, the market at Charlottenburg Palace was canceled.
Busch-Petersen from the trade association criticized the coupling of the shopping Sundays to the Christmas markets.
He thinks it is a flawed approach to merge the two.
dpa