Retailers satisfied with Christmas business so far
The fairy lights in the shop windows are sparkling, it smells like punch and snowflakes are gently falling from the sky. Pre-Christmas Munich was almost kitschy at the weekend.
And so many people were drawn to the city center, the masses pushed through the pedestrian zone. There are only a few days left until Christmas Eve – the gift marathon is about to enter the final sprint. Customers storm the shops, retailers are satisfied with the Christmas business – even if sales cannot match the pre-Corona year 2019.
Munich: The signs were bad again this year
The omens for the sales figures were bad again this year. The corona restrictions are history, but inflation and delivery passes are a cause for concern. But higher prices also seem to be dying Munich not to discourage Christmas shopping on a large scale. “Things are going better than we feared given the current framework conditions,” said Wolfgang Fischer from the City-Partner Munich association, summing up the situation for the first time. Around 165,000 people were out and about in Kaufingerstrasse on Saturday. A similar number of shoppers came to the city center on the last two weekends. However, these numbers do not come close to the time before the pandemic – Fischer says they are about ten to 20 percent lower.
Handelsverband-Managing Director: Still a long way from “Christmas shopping fever”.
With a view to Bavaria as a whole, Bernd Ohlmann, Managing Director of the Bavarian Trade Association, shared an initial positive balance: “Business has gained momentum.” We are still a long way from the pre-Corona sales. There can be no question of “Christmas shopping fever”. The shops in the Munich city center, according to Fischer, were able to benefit from December 8th. Immaculate Conception is a public holiday in Austria, Italy and parts of Switzerland. That’s what many tourists would want for a short trip to do some Christmas shopping Munich used.
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Overall, according to Fischer, retailers have been satisfied so far. The Christmas season got off to a great start with Black Friday and the other three Advent weekends didn’t disappoint either.
There are now two whole weeks until the holidays. Both Ohlmann and Fischer are cautiously hopeful about the final sprint. The weather also plays a role: when it snows, more people buy winter accessories such as scarves or hats. According to Fischer, toys, electronics and books are popular, as they are every year. And one trend has also remained despite the inflation: “People have not lost the joy of giving presents,” said Fischer. Gifts for loved ones are also bought more locally. Ohlmann’s share of online trade fell slightly compared to the past year – at that time, however, there was a stronger lockdown. (S. Oberhuber)