Shopping streets and centers were well attended on Saturday. Sales representatives draw cautiously positive results
Note: Article was updated on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Twelve days before Christmas, Austrians are slowly getting into the shopping mood. Both the shopping streets such as Mariahilfer Strasse and the shopping centers were very busy on the first Saturday of shopping after the two-week lockdown. “We're satisfied. It's almost a normal Saturday before Christmas ”, commented a shop manager in the Q19 shopping center in Döblingen on the location opposite the KURIER.
The dealers fight a discount battle
The other dealers were also entirely positive. The start of Christmas tree sales in particular attracted many customers. The most rush was for books, cell phones and perfumes, with slightly fewer people in the fashion shops. Corona safety rules such as the limited number of customers were adhered to.
Rainer Trefelik
Best day so far
Rainer Trefelik, trade chairman in the Chamber of Commerce (WKO), drew a cautiously positive balance in the evening: “The frequency was okay, the turnover less”. The day is the best so far in the Christmas business, but more like a normal Saturday than the third Christmas shopping Saturday of the previous year. Fashion retailers would report declines of 20 to 30 percent compared to the previous year. In view of the pandemic, expectations are already very subdued.
Cash register disruptions
A widespread failure of certain ATM terminals at lunchtime caused longer delays and thus additional traffic jams in front of the cash registers. “This meant enormous additional work and delays for the business. As a result, the safety and hygiene concepts were doubly challenged in practice, ”said Rainer Will, chairman of the trade association.
All clear in the afternoon
Cash register operator Six Payment Service gave the all-clear in the afternoon. The problems were resolved at 1:29 p.m. This was due to a malfunction at an internet provider, which is why some of the payment transactions could temporarily not be processed correctly.
There's someone else sleeping …
After the first week of trading after the second lockdown, the trade association drew an overall mixed balance. “There is still a great lack of gastronomy and the hotel industry, particularly in the winter tourism regions in Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Salzburg, but also in the federal capital Vienna,” said Will. But: “If the next few days go on like this, the critical situation in the retail sector will calm down slightly.”
The dealers have long since given up hope of the annual “Christkindl final spurt”, ie an increase in sales in the last days before Christmas. On the one hand, many of them already got their gifts on the Internet and, on the other hand, the tense Corona situation prevents a buying frenzy.
