CHIP does the branch check. What are the big chain stores planning?
The retail space of the major players on the German market varies.
In individual cases, Zara, H&M, Mango, Esprit or New Yorker come to shop areas from 300 to even 2000 square meters.
Upon request from CHIP, Gerry Weber confirmed that most of the stores will open from Monday. But only where the federal states and governments allow it. Protective masks will be available for customers and employees.
Only larger branches or in-store shops – i.e. Gerry Weber branches that are located in large shopping malls or shopping centers – remain closed. In response to a CHIP request, the press office stated that distances, hygiene measures and mask requirements were to be implemented at all locations and that a concept was being worked on.
The textile discount store Kik is also planning a comeback. The company plans to open a majority of its branches in Germany from Monday, April 20. At least where the authorities, municipalities and federal states make it possible.
“Our businesses and our employees are well prepared for the stricter hygiene measures associated with the opening,” the company says on request. Kik’s arch-rival Tedi also makes a similar statement on request.
“Against the backdrop of the gradual easing that has been announced, we are currently reviewing whether and in what form the businesses are affected and are preparing to reopen selected stores along the security precautions,” said a CHIP request from H&M. And: “In our forward-looking planning, we rely on flexibility.” According to CHIP information, employees in Hamburg and Berlin have not yet received any information from the headquarters.
Zara or Bershka are becoming more specific. On request, the Inditex Group said that in spite of this, site openings would be checked in cooperation with the local authorities. Exactly how this could be done is “worked out” in “detail”. Here too, the focus should be on distance, mouth protection and hygiene.
Douglas is also considering store openings. However, one wants to speak to the local authorities. For the most part, the company has branch sizes that are below the specified 800 square meters. There will probably be no testers in the stores. Drugstore giants like DM, Rossmann had already removed such testers from the shelves for cosmetics and perfumery items on March 20.
It is unlikely that the Fashion giants C&A and TkMaxx open.
Due to their size, they are considered “large trading companies”. This means that branches of the department store giant Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof will also remain closed. The company wants to take legal action against this decision.
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