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A large shopping mall with various stores, including cinemas and restaurants, has a particularly cool atmosphere since Corona 19.
Some traders say that it is better to close the business even with a penalty fee.
Reporter Jeong Da-eun on the report.
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A large shopping mall in Yongsan Station in Seoul.
The inside and outside of the building is noticeably busy.
Even though it is a shopping mall with a large train station with a lot of floating population, there are many empty tables in restaurants and cafes.
[Auntie/Restaurant Operation: Because almost 80% of sales fell.
(The deficit) can be assumed to be more than 10 million won per month.]
I want to cut down on labor costs and stop the business, but I can't
afford it
.
[Emo's/restaurant operation: Because business hours are stipulated to some extent, there is a penalty for not opening.] As
sales drop sharply, the burden of rent and maintenance costs is high.
[Mr. Shin/Cafe operation: The rent and maintenance fees are very high.
I keep losing money.
It would be better if I paid the penalty fee...
.] The
situation is similar for a large shopping mall in Dongdaemun, Seoul.
There are many empty shops.
[Mr. Mother-in-law/Operation of a clothing store: The store is empty one by one when going back and forth on holidays.
If the empty space is 100%, 80% of those who did there went out this year...
.]
There are many places that are on sale or are closed at all.
Even asking for a lower rent doesn't work.
[Aunt's/Clothing store operation: Some people don't come out because they can't do business...
As for the maintenance fee, there are many vacancy here, so it was difficult to give it down more, and I asked for a lower rent.
It didn't work.]
As a result of a survey of small business owners, rent was selected as the most burdensome item of management expenses after corona re-proliferation.
The rent for small business owners in national industrial complexes and public institutions is partially reduced, but large distribution companies that operate large shopping malls are passive.
Active win-win efforts, such as temporary rent cuts, are required.
(Video editing: Kim Joon-hee, VJ: Jung Min-gu)