Almost 60% of retailers in city centres in Germany believe that their businesses are at risk due to the pandemic and restrictions on public movement, a new survey has revealed.
The survey, conducted by HDE (Handelsverband Deutschland), included more than 500 companies.
Retailers in city centres saw an average year-on-year decline in sales of more than a third, while footfall declined by an average of 43% compared with 2019, the HDE added.
'Bad News'
HDE managing director, Stefan Genth, commented, “The lockdown ensures that retailers in the city centres can no longer work economically in many cases. Despite the shop doors being open, many livelihoods are in danger here, which is bad news for our inner cities too.”
The HDE has urged the government to open up emergency aid to the retail sector and make adjustments to the interim aid.
Genth added, “Politicians have promised not to leave companies alone with the consequences of the pandemic. Now it is important to keep this promise for inner-city retail as well. Otherwise, our city centres will bleed and become permanently deserted.”
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
