Of the Trade Association Germany (HDE) got from the federal government additional help required for retailers, to compensate for the consequences of the introduction of the 2G rule in large parts of the industry. The aim must be “to cushion the feared losses as quickly and fairly as possible,” wrote HDE President Josef Sanktjohanser in a letter to the executive Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the likely next Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). The existing compensation regulations were nowhere near sufficient for this.
“In the federal states that have already introduced a 2G regulation for retail, a loss of sales of up to 35 percent in the companies concerned must already be determined. In downtown retail, customer footfall has decreased by almost 40 percent, ”complained Sanktjohanser in the letter available to the German press agency. Many non-grocery retailers cannot cope with the severe interventions during the time of the year with the highest turnover without help.
“The affected trade must not be taken lightly as collateral damage here,” demanded the HDE President. However, the bridging aid offered by the federal government is not suitable in its current form to save the trade. “If a dealer first has to prove a 30 percent drop in sales, it is already too late in many cases.” This should cushion the damage that is not covered by the bridging aid.