What solutions to reopen stores during containment?

The traders' federations offer solutions to reopen businesses and prevent them from filing for bankruptcy.

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• The federations of traders are seeking by all means to reopen independent businesses in this crucial period for them before Christmas.

• One of the advanced solutions would be setting up appointments in stores, by time slot and in reduced tonnage.

• A measure that would be added to the health protocol and the already existing “click and collect” system.

Since the announcement of the second confinement and the closure of businesses deemed non-essential, the rumors have been mounting on the side of small traders.

For some, having to go out of business within two months of the Christmas holidays is almost a death sentence.

"90% of them are self-employed and stopping their activity is potentially bankruptcy, without unemployment behind", explains to

François Asselin, President of the General Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises ( CPME).

“For toy stores, this period represents 60% of turnover.

For leather goods, it is around 40%, figure Bénédicte Boudet-Corric, general delegate of the Confederation of traders of France (CCF).

Their cash will not be enough to cover this shortfall.

These stores also feel a deep injustice in being viewed as non-essential.

And closing certain departments in supermarkets for the sake of fairness is not enough to calm their anger.

Traders by appointment

Faced with this situation and this wave of protest, the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire indicated that he would receive this week the various federations of traders in Bercy to study the conditions of a possible reopening of a certain number of shops. from November 12.

"The traders have already made a huge effort on health measures, but to reopen, they are ready to make further concessions", assures the President of the CPME.

One of the main proposals of the federations, would be the setting up of meetings to be able to go to the traders.

“A limited number of clients could make an appointment within a defined time slot.

A bit like at the doctor's office, explains Bénédicte Boudet-Corric.

The gauge would be limited, or even reduced if necessary, and cleaning would be done between each pass.

François Asselin also suggests that there could be a temperature measurement at the entrance to the store.

"Click & collect", a complementary solution

These solutions would complement the “click & collect” system already put in place during the first containment.

“The problem with this system is that it is not suitable for all businesses.

First, because some do not even have a website or Facebook account, or quite simply because that does not work for certain products.

For example, when you buy shoes, you do not always know which model you want in advance, you have to try them on, ”explains the general delegate of the CCF.

And even for traders able to apply it, François Asselin ensures that this would only represent 25% of the activity, in the best case.

For the federations, the reopening of stores with strict sanitary measures appears to be the only solution to save small traders who are already hard hit by an initial confinement and the rise of online sales on large international platforms.

The date of November 12 already seems to them very late.

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• Covid 19

• Society

• Coronavirus

• Confinement

• Trade

• Stores