The concerns among sports retailers in tourist areas have recently increased. These days the alarm was raised that 40 percent were threatened with extinction. Now the heads of Intersport, Sport2000, atomic, Bründl Sport and other industry representatives have taken up pen and sent an open letter to the federal government. In it they draw attention to their precarious situation. Above all, they are demanding an “appropriate revenue replacement” for their branch.
“'Nobody is left behind',” write Holger Schwarting (Sport2000), Thorsten Schmitz (Intersport), Wolfgang Mayrhofer (Atomic and spokesman for the ski industry), Hans-Jürgen Schoder (spokesman for ARGE Fahrrad Österreich / CEO Thalinger Lange) and Michael Nendwich , WKÖ spokesman for sporting goods trade) to Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Finance Minister Gernot Blümel (both ÖVP) and Werner Kogler (Greens). “But whoever you are leaving behind now is 40 percent of the tourist sports retailers in Austria.” These are regional family businesses. “For our industry, an appropriate revenue substitute is therefore essential for survival.” Stand with your back to the wall.
Of the total of 12,000 jobs in domestic sports retailers, 6,500 are directly dependent on tourism, according to the weekend. The sports retailers in tourist locations will therefore make up to 70 percent of their annual turnover in the next four months.
The trade should get staggered sales. While gastronomy and tourism are compensated with 80 percent, the trading companies wave aid of 20, 40 or 60 percent of the loss of sales. 20 percent is rumored for sports retailers – and that would be too little from their point of view.
ÖVP-Wirtschaftsbund criticizes Spar, Lidl and Hofer
Meanwhile, the Lower Austrian ÖVP Wirtschaftsbund also wrote an open letter at the weekend – to Spar, Lidl and Hofer. These trading companies are called upon to “adhere to the Emergency Measures Ordinance” and to limit the range as required therein. Among the signatories are numerous ÖVP representatives such as Lower Austria's Economic Councilor Jochen Danninger, the President of the Lower Austrian Chamber of Commerce and regional chairman of the Economic Association Wolfgang Ecker, WBNÖ Director Harald Servus, the WKNÖ Vice-Presidents of the Economic Association and other top representatives from trade and commerce in the Lower Austrian Chamber of Commerce.
