Probably worried about the risk of contamination, consumers shunned the start of the sales. Without drastic measures of support, some trade unions fear mass bankruptcies by the end of the year.
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Dramatic ”,“ catastrophic ”, very pessimistic comments burst forth throughout the weekend to qualify a particularly gloomy first day of sales for traders. “This first day is particularly disappointing,” said Daniel Cauwel, president of SDI, the inter-professional employers’ federation questioned by the Belga agency. Comeos, the trade and services federation could only increase the price, citing turnover cut in half compared to last year. Usually starting on July 1, the sales start date had been shifted by one month, to be set for August 1.
