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Magdeburg / Halle (dpa / sa) - In Saxony-Anhalt's two largest cities, Magdeburg and Halle, many consumers use what is perhaps the last open Saturday before Christmas for Advent shopping.
"The cityscape is well filled," said the spokesman for the Magdeburg inner city center, Arno Frommhagen, on Saturday for the German press agency.
"You can tell that the retail sector is already offering significant discounts."
Wolfgang Fleischer from the Halle City Community also expected strong sales.
On Sunday, the prime ministers are to discuss significantly tougher corona restrictions with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU).
"As it turns out, the hard lockdown will come before Christmas and not after that," said Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) on Saturday.
According to media reports, in addition to schools and day-care centers, retailers will also close with a few exceptions such as supermarkets.
Frommhagen asked Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff (CDU) to give retailers at least a few last days of sales.
"We hope that the Prime Minister will act with a sense of proportion and that we can sell the warehouses short for another two or three days."
In the last few days before a possible hard lockdown, a strong rush can be expected, which should be straightened out over as many days as possible.
Frommhagen hopes for state aid.
"But with the best will in the world, I cannot imagine that the state pays the retail trade a lot, such as the catering trade," said Frommhagen.
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My colleague Fleischer from Halle would also have wished for a better equalization of the Christmas business, for example through Sunday shopping.
Now he is also hoping for "the fastest possible aid from the state".
Without this, the existence of many shops in the city centers would be threatened.
Already now, the retailers in Halle had a sales decline of 30 to 40 percent in December.
"Only the most important things are bought," said Fleischer.
The spokesman emphasized the health of customers and employees.
"Life comes first."