Large distributors are allowed to sell everything again from April 27, but specialist shops must remain closed. Trade and the trade association are storming.
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If you are looking for a new e-bike, you will find closed shops at specialist shops such as Mway. Hardware stores, on the other hand, are allowed to sell bicycles.
Photo: PD
Bike enthusiasts will be happy: If you want to buy a new bike, you will be faced with closed shops because of the lockdown. That is changing now – but only partially. And that causes trouble. Because while specialist shops must remain closed, Jumbo will again offer a large selection of bicycles with federal blessing from April 27th.
And not only that: DIY stores, which will also open again, have everything that home customers want, from home textiles, furniture to sporting goods. In contrast, furniture stores, sports shops such as Veloshops remain closed.
From April 27, Migros, Coop and Aldi are also allowed to remove the red and white tapes in their supermarkets with which they had locked their shelves with non-food. Consumers can then buy clothes, suitcases, jewelry, office supplies and much more – at least in the supermarkets.
Clothes shops, jewelry stores, stationery and other specialty stores can only dream of this. Your shops will remain closed until May 11th.
The trade association rages
“This is a blatant distortion of competition,” says Hans-Ulrich Bigler, director of the Swiss Trade Association (SGV). Since the Federal Council’s announcement on Thursday, the angry reactions of members of the association pop up on his cell phone non-stop.
“Are there no streams of visitors when the Coop department store St. Annahof on Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich is open again on all floors?”
The top trader perceives the Federal Council’s justification in this matter as an affront: SME retailers are to remain closed because this is intended to prevent the flow of visitors. “Are there no streams of visitors when the Coop department store St. Annahof on Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich is open again on all floors?” Bigler asks rhetorically.
Bigler also does not accept the argument that protective measures are lacking. He refers to the grocery stores that try to protect customers and employees by dosing the number of customers, asking them to keep their distance and disinfecting bottles at the entrance. On the website of the SGV you can also find protection concepts that have been developed by the affiliated associations for their members.
For Bigler, the preferred treatment of large distributors is the second time that SMEs are disadvantaged.
Another contributing factor to the bad mood among those responsible for the association was the fact that they had offered the Federal Council to provide advice on decision-making in terms of loosening the lockdown, including over the Easter holidays. According to Bigler, no answer to this offer ever came from Bern.
What annoys him even more: For Bigler, the preferred treatment of large distributors is the second time that SMEs are disadvantaged. Because when the lockdown was imposed, the Federal Council prohibited Migros, Coop and Co. from selling non-essential goods.
Double discrimination
In some stores, however, it took a long time to follow this requirement, as customers had noticed with astonishment. “The state government never implemented this,” criticizes Bigler. And refers to the conference of cantonal economics directors, which at that time had to ask the Federal Council for better control. Bigler is still going tough today with State Secretary Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch. At that time, the head of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) appraised the unequal treatment as a trifle.
For Bigler it is clear what Bern has to do: On April 27th, the SME retail trade should also be open again. If the Federal Council does not agree to this request, Bigler demands that the large distributors continue to keep the non-food area closed.
“It is not Seco to comment on the decisions of the Federal Council.”
Retail Switzerland, to which 33 industry associations are affiliated, also speaks of an unfair advantage for large distributors. From April 27th, all small shops should therefore be able to open, “provided they comply with the protective measures”.
An inquiry by this newspaper to the Seco was unsuccessful: “It is not Seco to comment on the decisions of the Federal Council”, the office only announced.
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