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Olbernhau (dpa / sn) - The Corona crisis makes many artisans in the Ore Mountains pessimistic about their business this year.
More than half of the manufacturers expect less sales than in the previous year, only one in ten with higher revenues.
That was the result of a survey of the members, said the Association of Erzgebirge Craftsmen and Toy Manufacturers in Olbernhau on Thursday.
The picture is similar for specialist dealers.
The association represents around 60 manufacturers of Erzgebirge folk art.
Despite the Corona crisis, the artisans report continued interest in their products.
"Especially in this difficult time, people wanted to bring a piece of home and something for their hearts into their homes," explained association manager Frederic Günther.
The trend is towards medium to high-priced items.
Some specialist dealers could even have improved their sales by the time they were closed.
Overall, manufacturers' revenues in 2020 fell by an average of 14 percent and in stationary retail by 25 percent.
But the companies are affected differently.
For the artisans themselves, the range of losses extends from 0 to 40 percent, it said.
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According to the information, the main problems were the closure of shops in the main season and the failure of the Christmas markets.
As a result, many spontaneous purchases that online retail were unable to make were eliminated.
In addition, there is additional work for the manufacturers in their workshops due to hygiene and quarantine rules, the absence of employees due to a lack of childcare and bureaucratic effort when applying for economic aid and short-time working allowance.
According to the association, 31 member companies and 68 specialist dealers took part in the survey on the consequences of the corona pandemic.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210225-99-594475 / 2
Association of Erzgebirge Craftsmen