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Rostock (dpa / mv) - In downtown Rostock, employees gathered in front of their shops on Thursday to draw attention to the plight of the retail trade in the Corona crisis.
One wants to give the company a face, said Diane Nikolaus, managing director of a fashion house with 50 employees in front of one of its 7 branches.
In total, more than 150 employees stood in front of their respective shops - in compliance with the Corona rules.
Rostock's Lord Mayor Claus Ruhe Madsen (independent) went from shop to shop and showed his support for the action.
Traders are increasingly desperate over the lockdown and lack of revenue.
They are now taking away everything that they have worked hard for decades, said Nikolaus.
"We really feel dispossessed."
The support was nowhere near enough.
The entry barriers for applying for bridging aid are unrealistic for their industry.
"We haven't got it once so far."
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According to the industry association HDE, the retail trade affected by the lockdown suffered a drop in sales of 36 billion euros nationwide last year.
As of December 19, 2020, the entire German retail sector had received bridging aid amounting to just 90 million euros, the association criticized.
According to figures from the Federal Statistical Office, however, sales in the entire retail sector rose by 5.3 percent in 2020 despite all the adversities.
Online retail in particular was booming, and grocery stores, furniture and home improvement stores were also doing good business.
The textile trade, on the other hand, plunged deep into the crisis.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210128-99-208437 / 2