With all three lockdowns, domestic trade will have lost almost eight billion euros in sales, according to estimates.
The upcoming, third corona lockdown from December 26th to January 17th inclusive will cost the domestic retail industry billions again in sales.
Trade researchers from the Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) expect gross sales losses of just under 1.9 billion euros. Between January 18 and January 24, customers must then be able to show a negative Corona test for visiting shops.
According to the JKU retail researchers, the first lockdown caused a loss of sales in retail of 3.8 billion euros and the second forced break cost 2.2 billion euros in revenue. According to estimates, domestic retailers will have lost almost EUR 8 billion in sales with the three lockdowns.
The trade association expects revenue losses of as much as 10 billion euros. “The three hard lockdowns hit the trade in the marrow,” said trade association managing director Rainer Will to the APA. For the New Year, Will would like the government to have “more planning security”.
Criticism on the freest
The trade association is critical of the corona mass tests in January as a prerequisite for easing. People with a negative test result are allowed to visit all shops and service providers as well as restaurants and hotels from January 18th, without a test you have to wait a week longer until January 25th.
“You get used to going to business by 'freestyle'”, says Will. In a recent survey, 42 percent of those questioned wanted to be “freed”: The third corona lockdown for retail – with the exception of supermarkets, pharmacies and tobacconists – would take almost a month, criticized the trade association managing director.
Because of the third corona lockdown, the shutters in shops, hairdressers and other body-friendly services such as beauticians, masseurs or nail salons have to stay down from tomorrow, December 26th, up to and including January 17th. As in spring and mid-November to early December, only a few shops are allowed to be open between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., including supermarkets, drugstore chains and tobacconists. Electronics, fashion and shoe retailers, furniture stores and sports shops are closing.
On the other hand, customer areas of non-body-oriented service companies (e.g. banks, car and bicycle workshops, insurance companies, cleaning shops, tailors) may have more open. The entire food trade as well as the health sector (in addition to pharmacies, for example, also the sale of medical products) can remain open. For the first time in the corona lockdown, digital and telephone pre-ordering and collection of goods is allowed in all shops.
