“You can hear anti-vaccination opponents, but you don’t hear us entrepreneurs enough,” says Alfred Hofstätter, managing director of the mobile phone sales company “mobile.com” from Wels with nine locations in Upper Austria. This week, the entrepreneur turned to politics and business for help and drew attention to the precarious situation in retail: “The current situation is tearing the ground away from under the feet of many companies.” Again and again it was said that there would be no fourth lockdown: Now a large part of the stores must be closed, and that in the busiest time of the year. “From November to January most of the profit is generated in our branch,” says Hofstätter. This is the second time in a row that you are falling over this important business. Once again, no liquidity buffers could be taken with you for the months from February to October.
Hofstätters shops are partially open, mobile telephony is part of the basic service. However, customers only come for business that cannot be postponed, such as repair services. “There are hardly any contracts signed, charging cables or cell phone cases sold.” In lockdown the frequency is missing, nothing is going on in the cities. Many companies have their backs to the wall.
Hofstätter employs 40 people, the majority of whom were sent on short-time work. However, a leasing employee could not be registered for short-time work: “So our only warehouse employee is at home. He would be so important for the online business.”
He had taken out aid loans amounting to 500,000 euros, but could not possibly repay them, says Hofstätter.
The government’s economic aid is no longer sufficient. There is a threat of bankruptcy in retail. Online trading is taking off, but most of the money is flowing abroad: “At Amazon, they clap their hands every day.” (prel)
Source: Nachrichten
