During the spring, many have avoided shopping malls and city centers due to the prevailing corona pandemic, which has negatively affected many stores. Swedish trade tracks a recovery of trade during the summer - for example when many are on holiday at home. But how well it will go probably depends on where the stores are located.
- Different cities are different depending on visitors. Cities that are used to foreign tourists contributing to trade, such as Stockholm and Gothenburg, will probably do worse. That is why I am more positive towards smaller cities, says Mats Hedenström, head of business policy for Swedish trade.
"Completely different service in smaller cities"A smaller town where trade seems to have succeeded is Enköping.
- It is clear that there was a concern in early spring. But my general opinion is that things have gone well for the retailers in the center, says Susann Karlsson, chairman of Enköping centrumsamverkan.
Susann also runs stores within the same chain in the smaller city of Enköping and in the larger city of Västerås - and sees a big difference in the sales figures.
- It has gone much better in Enköping. I think it has to do with the fact that the stores in smaller cities are often located on the ground floor where it is possible to provide a completely different service. In larger cities, many stores are in shopping malls, which I think many avoid during the corona pandemic.
In the clip above, you can hear the Swedish Trade's business policy manager and the traders in Enköping.