Retail without 2G: Shopping mood remains manageable

The 2G rule in retail in Hesse has no longer been in effect in Hesse, so the potential customer group has grown again.However, a small survey in Licher clothing stores shows that sales and lust still remain behavior, there are differences.

It is a strange situation: the incidence values also gallop in the Gießen district at dizzying heights.At the same time, in the face of often mild disease courses in the omikron variant - loosening of the Corona protection measures are in the air.Some federal states are already taking concrete steps: The 2G rule has no longer been valid in retail in Hesse since Monday.People without vaccination can also buy clothes, shoes and more on site again.The access control is no longer necessary for shop owners, but FFP2 masks are now mandatory.

However, there can hardly be any talk of relieved breath in retail, even if - as a small survey in Lich shows - some shops have recorded sales since the beginning of the week."I noticed a bit of change," Sabine Metz-Palenga looks back on the first few days without 2G.However, compared to the losses that the introduction of the rule in Hesse brought in December, this is "a drop on the hot stone," said the daughter of the owner of "Mode Team Metz" in Licher downtown.

Retail without 2G: Little operation in Licher downtown

She lets her look wander through the deserted business - "But with 2G it was worse, from the first day you noticed that much fewer customers come".In any case, the beginning of the year in the clothing industry is a low -sales time.This time especially.The winter clothing is bought, for summer fashion it is still too early."January was super bad - and so far February," says Metz -Palenga, "we are definitely missing 40 percent sales".

Through the shop window, it points towards the Licher pedestrian zone.Hardly anyone is on the way.She is not surprised that the big rush fails."People are just afraid, stay back." And that doesn't just have to do with the fear of infection."The money is just not so relaxed," she says, mentioning, among other things, the massive climbs of energy prices.

It is a time of caution not only for customers, but also for shop operators."You have already bought less, there was also fear: comes a lockdown, a new variant?" As some other traders, Metz-Palenga has now reduced the opening times somewhat.Personnel planning is currently not easy, especially in small shops - for example because working parents have to take care of the care due to quarantine cases in daycare and school children.

Metz-Palenga hopes that spring will come as soon as possible, and with him maybe a little more shopping mood."After all, things are going better than a year ago - we had it," she jokes."You try to take it with humor."

Retail without 2G: "Saure Cucer Time"

A few meters away is Andrea Wiedemann-Schumacher in her shoe store "Per Pedes" shortly before noon alone."People are anxious, go out less," she said in an interview with the GAZ in November 2020 - at that time in the waters of the gastro closures, which also met retail.And now?"Now is a sour cucumber time anyway," says Wiedemann-Schumacher.So far, she doesn't feel anything from more customers through the end of 2G, "the frequency is slow - and currently very bad".Sales would not have normalized that from the time before Corona you were still far away.This is more and more evident in the city center."You see how many have closed in Lich."

The online competition is still very worried.In the meantime, many seniors have also started ordering shoes on the Internet instead of buying on site."I think that will stay, the trend is going," fears Wiedemann-Schumacher.However, many goods would then be sent back, partly unpacked, "nobody thinks of the eco-balance sheet".For them, an online sales is not an option: »If you want to be found, you have to put money in your hand.With return quotas of sometimes over 50 percent, this is not worth it for me. "

Like many people, she also caught the Corona Blues recently, says Wiedemann-Schumacher: »I had a total sag in January;Thought you only make you minus here! ”After a few days hiking, she is doing much better again.She will put hope for the coming days, then she wants to reduce the prices on a large scale."I am excited!"

Retail without 2G: Different impressions

As different as the ranges are, the current impressions differ from business to shop.Elsewhere in the football zone, Violetta Siwy has reported noticeably more customers since Monday.In her boutique "My Way" she sells women's clothing."It will be a little more normal," she says.Siwy can also use more sales: Compared to a "normal" December and January, she has now made an estimated 60 percent less sales, which attributes the portion of 2G.

Siwy is relieved that the controls of customers to their vaccination or recovery status are now no longer available."I seemed a bit stupid - like police," she says, emphasizing, like other owners, that customers quickly got used to it and took part in it.

The situation was also threatening for their business in the meantime.The boutique boss is carefully optimistic that the sales are gradually stabilizing, "we have to wait" without a 2G restriction.However, the situation is still difficult for clothing transactions.Siwy's view, especially women, liked to buy something new to wear when they go out.But in the end, Christmas parties fell out.Weddings still take place often in a small circle, Fasching is also largely flat.Many, says Siwy, did not want to go to the restaurant at the moment, preferred to order home."You connect clothes with going out" - and there is a lack of occasions.

While many of persistent caution, partly scared, and a lack of shopping in the customers report, complaints about the Corona course of politics can also be heard."In any case, they should decide what they want - it is caustic!", A seller realizes in a licher clothing business.She has to read new rules all the time.Some customers gradually no longer got through.