Christmas business: keep the retail trade open!

The retail sector is worried about its Christmas business again this year.

With the increasing number of corona infections, the fear of stricter access rules or, even worse, a renewed lockdown is also increasing.

In Berlin or Saxony, for example, the 2-G rules already apply in retail, so only people who have been vaccinated or recovered are allowed into the shops.

This is what worries the German trade association, it vehemently warns of further tightening that could endanger the "existence of many traders".

He rightly warns.

Much of this pandemic resembles a déjà vu, stricter restrictions are being discussed again, and a lockdown could come again.

For specialist retailers, however, the situation is different this winter: If there are renewed restrictions, the industry will be hit even harder this time than last year, with the exception of the grocery retailers hardly affected by the pandemic.

In addition to the restrictions, there are also delivery bottlenecks

Because delivery bottlenecks also place a heavy burden on companies.

Although there is no risk of empty shelves across the board, the shortage has an impact on the Christmas business.

Some products, especially from the electronics and bicycle segment, are unlikely to go over the till at Christmas.

Electrical components, but also the fork and frame of a bicycle, are mainly produced in Asia.

Not only is it more difficult to replenish, it is also more expensive.

Because the greatly increased transport costs also have an impact.

The already thinned financial cushion continues to shrink.

Anyone who had reserves for bad times before the pandemic no longer has them.

Speaking of warehouses: in addition to new goods, there are also often contaminated sites there.

In some industries, the range from past lockdowns is still piling up.

Not all goods that were left behind due to earlier store closings have since been sold.

And what was sold did not go to the till at full price.

The stationary trade wants to avoid a repetition of this situation with all its might.

Some industries generate a quarter of their sales during the Christmas season

With the Christmas business the empty coffers should actually be filled again, after all, it is the time of the year with the highest turnover, some industries such as the book trade generate around a quarter of their annual turnover in November and December alone.

Whether they will succeed again this year is in the stars.

The start went unusually bad.

According to a survey by the industry association, only one in five retailers has been satisfied with the Christmas business so far.

The reason is the low frequency in the city centers due to the already tightened measures.

If consumers cannot or only to a limited extent shop in stationary retail, then they often buy online.

This turnover is lost at Christmas, the gift shopping is not made up in the spring.

In addition, it is questionable how much a closure will bring for infection protection.

Even after almost two years of pandemic, it is still a matter of dispute whether retail is really one of the high-risk places.

Studies come to different results.

On the other hand, there is agreement that there should be no queues or crowds in the shop.

Customers benefit from uniform rules for infection protection

For this, the stores would not necessarily have to close again, uniform rules ensure protection against infection when shopping, such as the mask requirement, distance rules and hygiene regulations.

Retailers have used and controlled these measures for a long time, often at high costs.

In case of doubt, a 2-G rule would be less of an evil than a new lockdown. But the disadvantages of 2G become apparent where this restriction already applies: In Berlin, the first retailers not only complain about a significantly lower customer frequency or higher personnel costs, but also about long queues in front of the shops, which should actually be avoided.

Politicians would be well advised to consider which restrictions will really help.

The HDE is now advertising the compulsory vaccination in an open letter to the federal government.

To get the debate moving, the industry association also wants to make further shopping centers available for boosting, and the vaccination campaign is to be rolled out further.

It would be hoped that retailers, with their more than two million employees, would take their concerns seriously and do everything possible to prevent the shops from closing.