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Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) - The Baden-Württemberg trade association fears an even larger wave of insolvencies than previously forecast in view of the imminent hard lockdown that will last several weeks.
Most recently, the association had assumed around 6,000 corona-related business closings and bankruptcies in the next two years.
But the new lockdown will exacerbate the situation in the retail sector, said the general manager of the association, Sabine Hagmann, of the German press agency.
"The number will definitely increase significantly."
In the worst case, one must expect a doubling to around 12,000 closings and bankruptcies in the next two years.
This is especially true if the dealers do not get sufficient government aid quickly.
Hagmann demanded subsidies for the companies in their branch along the lines of the extraordinary November and December aid, from which, for example, the catering trade, which has been largely closed for a long time, benefits.
These companies usually receive federal subsidies of 75 percent of the average turnover from the respective months of the previous year.
According to the association, the last official day of sales for stationary retailers in the southwest was hardly satisfactory until Tuesday afternoon, for example for fashion retailers.
"Judging by the fact that today is the last chance for many people to go shopping, it is very empty in the cities," said Hagmann.