The 2G rule could cause failures in Christmas business

Dusseldorf The head of the Breuninger department store chain, Holger Blecker, has issued an urgent warning against the introduction of the 2G rule in retail. “Fighting pandemics and opening shop doors with good hygiene concepts are not a contradiction in terms,” ​​he says in an interview with Handelsblatt. The measures taken so far are sufficient for this. “Renewed restrictions during the Christmas season would mean massive failures for retailers at the most important time of the year,” he predicts.

At the same time, he advocates a general vaccination requirement. “It is clear to me that the only way out of the pandemic is vaccination,” emphasizes the Breuninger boss. “The return to normality can only be achieved in the long term by immunizing the population,” said Blecker.

Therefore, the vaccination campaign has to pick up speed with a low-threshold offer like at the beginning of the year. First and second vaccinations, but also boosters, should be easily accessible.

Mr Blecker, politicians are discussing introducing the 2G rule in retail as well. What effects would such an access restriction have on the business of commerce?
In 2020, the shops had to close on December 16, overnight, so to speak, our business basis was stripped. And not just us, but I am speaking here for the inner cities and retail as a whole. Renewed restrictions during the Christmas season would mean massive losses for dealers at the most important time of the year, with serious economic consequences for companies and jobs. Fighting pandemics and opening shop doors with good hygiene concepts are not a contradiction in terms – as is the case in the food trade.

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How have the previous Corona protective measures, such as a temporary shutdown, limitation of the number of customers and mask requirement, affected Breuninger’s sales?
Due to the lockdowns and partial lockdowns in 2020 and at the beginning of 2021, we lost a high amount of millions in stationary sales. However, the simultaneous strong online growth could not compensate for the high fixed costs of stationary retail. Our customers have been coming back to our houses since we reopened in the summer, and we are very grateful for that. I hope that in the current situation we do not have to experience any further restrictions due to a tried and proven hygiene concept.

“There is no increased risk of infection from trading”

Did you understand that in the past, shops for daily needs were allowed to remain open while other areas such as the fashion trade had to close?
No, because the same requirements generally apply. It has also been proven that trading does not increase the risk of infection. Access restrictions only make sense if they help fight the pandemic in the long term. And we can only achieve this if we increase the vaccination rate. Exceptions for certain retail formats mean, however, that precisely those groups of the population who have not yet been vaccinated can continue to evade the restrictions without any problems.

You have already filed a lawsuit against the closure of your stores. Would you do that again if the stores had to close again?
We filed a lawsuit at the beginning of the year because we were forced to close despite the hygiene and protective measures that had been taken. And that without an opening perspective, so that there was no possibility of planning. In addition, there was the unequal treatment of dealers with regard to the range on offer. I hope that we don’t get into the same situation again and that we don’t have to experience another closure scenario.

What measures do you take to counter the risk of infection in your shops?
Due to our extensive Breuninger hygiene standard, which we have been actively implementing since the end of April 2020, we ensure that sources of infection are minimized. We took effective precautions early on to enable all customers to have a safe shopping experience across the board. In addition, there are now numerous studies that prove the effectiveness of specific measures such as regular cleaning and disinfection frequency, wearing mouth and nose covers and sufficient safety distance. Our employees are also continuously trained and informed so that our services can be offered safely.

Have you already had corona cases among your sales staff?
We are not aware of any infection events on the open area, i.e. in the sales room. We offer all of our employees the option of free rapid tests.

“The only way out of the pandemic is vaccination”

In your opinion, what are the right measures to contain the pandemic?
It is clear to me that the only way out of the pandemic is vaccination. Therefore, the vaccination campaign has to pick up speed with a low-threshold offer like at the beginning of the year. First and second vaccinations, but also boosters, must be easily accessible. A lot is happening politically.

Would you like to have compulsory vaccination?
The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority. It has been shown that vaccinations can reduce the risk of infection and prevent the disease from getting worse. The situation in the hospital and intensive care units is dramatic. The burden on caregivers is too high and having treatments postponed and we’re talking about triage is not a condition. I therefore welcome compulsory vaccination.

Could Compulsory Vaccination Prevent Further Trade Restrictions?
A return to normalcy can only be achieved in the long term by immunizing the population. Ultimately, this means a general vaccination requirement. We and many other companies are still ready to support new vaccination campaigns of the federal or state government quickly and massively. In the current situation, which is already very acute, we have to counteract the number of infections by maintaining the tried and tested protective measures such as the mask requirement and a nationwide 3G regulation.

Do you support the vaccination campaign with your own actions?
As part of the “Life instead of lockdown” initiative, we are supporting the vaccination campaign together with many other retailers. For example, many of the dealers involved in the initiative provide areas for vaccinations for visitors and customers. In addition, the initiative is advertised on extensive advertising space, and we are creating additional vaccination offers for employees. Ultimately, the offer must be made possible where people can be found.

What overall impact do you expect the renewed exacerbation of the pandemic to have on the Christmas business?
The Christmas business is the most important sales period of the year for retailers. This is not only about the pre-Christmas period, but also about the weeks after that when customers redeem vouchers, exchange goods and often use the free time to go downtown. The concrete influence of the worsening pandemic situation depends on the upcoming measures by the new federal government and the decisions of the Prime Minister’s Conference. We are feeling a growing uncertainty among customers.

More: 70 percent agreement – the majority of employees in favor of mandatory vaccination

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