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The resolutions of the most recent Corona summit are always controversial, but one point meets with a broad lack of understanding: The deeper wisdom of the planned closure of the supermarkets for Maundy Thursday is hardly accessible to anyone.

"The measures are apparently not thought through to the end," says Bernhard Burdick, food expert at the consumer center in North Rhine-Westphalia, opposite WELT.

“The Easter shopping is now foreseeably brought forward to Wednesday.

The shops will then be all the more full. "

In view of the current pandemic development, the consumer advice centers actually welcome the closure of shops as far as non-essential shopping facilities such as hardware stores or boutiques are concerned.

For the grocery trade, however, it would have even made more sense in Holy Week 2021 to extend business hours in order to equalize the rush of customers, said Burdick.

"In our opinion, an additional closure on Maundy Thursday will not lead to the hoped-for equalization of shopping activities, but rather to a concentration of purchases in the first half of the week and on Easter Saturday," says Aldi Süd.

The Federal Association of the German Grocery Trade (BVLH) still hopes that the federal states will not include the point one-to-one in their respective Corona regulations.

Since the prime ministers supported the resolutions, this hope is low, said a spokesman: “We cannot understand this measure.

But now it is, and we try to make the best of it. "

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Consumer advocates and retailers unanimously recommend customers not to postpone Easter purchases until the last minute and maybe buy some things this week.

“We appeal to consumers to keep stocks reasonable.

Hamster purchases only result in unnecessary food being thrown away later, ”said Burdick.

There is no reason to do so, especially since Saturday is also available as a shopping day.

At the same time, the expert warned against excessive concern about supply bottlenecks.

The trade has maintained its wide range through the entire Corona period: "Bottlenecks only arose when hoarding."

It seems foreseeable that the rush of customers on Wednesday and Saturday of the coming week will be particularly large.

If you want to make sure that you don't have to wait in front of the shop door, you can increase your chances with good planning.

The basic rule for normal times is simple: At the beginning of the week there is generally less turmoil on the shelves than at the weekend, during the day the off-peak times in the mornings and evenings are promising for relaxed shopping.

According to surveys by the Nuremberg Society for Consumer Research (GfK), Tuesday is usually the weakest shopping day.

Only a third of consumers are out and about on this weekday to buy everyday goods.

Usually on Wednesdays there is hardly any more going on.

In East Germany, this is even the weakest shopping day - that should look different next week.

The rush of customers is usually comparatively lively on Mondays, when supplies, which have been reduced over the weekend, are replenished.

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By far the greatest desire to shop is always on Friday and Saturday.

More than half of the consumers then buy food, drinks or shampoo on a regular basis.

Families and working people like to do the whole weekly shopping.

This year, the crowd on Holy Saturday is likely to be particularly intense because of the longer dry spell.

In drugstores, the shopping peaks are somewhat different.

Here the rush at the weekend is usually manageable.

The reason could be that Saturday shoppers take toothpaste, razor blades and batteries with them from the supermarket when they go shopping for the week.

Consumers can also take advantage of quiet times during the day - provided they can freely dispose of their time budget.

In many shops, the day starts with a morning injection.

Until nine o'clock, working people often get urgently needed items on their way to work shortly before the start of work.

After that, it usually becomes quieter on the sales floor.

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Experience has shown that the rush of customers often increases again around lunchtime.

Many use the lunch break for quick shopping.

The subsequent drop in sales in the early afternoon is displaced by the after-work rush around 4 p.m.

Shortly before the store closes, the shops become emptier again.

However, the specific course can deviate significantly from this basic pattern.

A supermarket in a residential area is prepared for different peaks in demand than a hypermarket in an industrial park or a discounter in an office area.

The dealers see themselves adequately prepared for the special situation this year.

"Rewe and Penny have proven since the beginning of the pandemic and the associated restrictions that they can master the special challenges," said a company spokesman: "That will also be the case this time around Easter." Customers could rely on the supply of goods is secured and safe shopping is possible on Easter Saturday, also insure other chains.

In addition to the time before Christmas, the Holy Week before Easter is the week of the year with the highest sales in the grocery store.

If necessary, the companies would react with a "fine adjustment of the logistics" - in other words: higher delivery frequencies - to the fact that a shopping day would be canceled in this phase, said the association spokesman.

He does not expect any problems either: “We have had Corona for more than a year.

The supply chains are adjusted to this. ”Additional hygiene measures do not have to be taken.

Closures are counterproductive

However, it is important to consistently comply with the existing rules, for example when controlling access, using disposable gloves at the fruit and vegetable stalls for self-service and not using containers that you have brought with you.

In shops up to 800 square meters, there may be a maximum of one customer per ten square meters, and in the area beyond that, a maximum of one customer per 20 square meters.

The German Trade Association (HDE) sharply criticized the resolutions of the Corona summit.

The closure of the grocery stores on Maundy Thursday is counterproductive.

The continued lockdown of businesses beyond supermarkets and drug stores is also harmful.

“The federal and state governments only operate in tunnel mode.

The sole fixation on the corona incidence values ​​does not do justice to the complex situation, "said HDE boss Stefan Genth.

It can be scientifically proven that the risk of infection in retail is low.

A study by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) confirms the complaints of the retail lobby about the economic threat after more than 100 days of lockdown.

At the moment, a major debt crisis is brewing in the German economy - just hidden by aid programs and the suspension of the insolvency obligation, said BCG restructuring expert Jochen Schönfelder.

In around 20 to 30 percent of companies, the ratio of debt to profitability is already so bad that a balance sheet restructuring is inevitable, as an analysis of the balance sheets of 300 larger companies has shown.

The fashion trade and other stationary retail companies, but also tourism companies, automotive suppliers and parts of mechanical engineering are particularly affected.

Schönfelder expects drastic renovation measures: "There are no more sacred cows."

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Often the effort will come too late.

According to an HDE survey of almost 1000 retailers, 54 percent of clothing retailers and 58 percent of retailers with shoes and leather goods already see themselves in danger of bankruptcy.

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