The shop windows are decorated for Christmas, the goods are waiting to be tried in the shop. It will be a while before that happens, however: There will only be opening steps in Upper Austria (including in retail) on December 17th. The frustration of the Austria-wide “Fleckerlteppich” including the different opening dates is great for many entrepreneurs.
One of them is Peter Bangelmeier, managing director of the Eiler shoe store. He is convinced that with this decision “a lot will flow into online retail, other countries and federal states”. Lockdown number four is a challenge, the aim is to “be able to offer customers a certain service”.
To see what this might look like, Bangelmeier took a look at Holland. There is a concept there, independent of Corona, in which customers are only allowed to look at the shoes through the shop window, but are not allowed to try them on. Bangelmeier quickly adapted this approach for its Click & Collect offer. From the country road, customers can have the shoes shown by the sales staff behind the glass pane in the shop, and they can then try them on at home. With this service, at least some sales can be made, with five to ten percent of the usual but in very manageable proportions, as Bangelmeier says. Eiler does not yet have an online shop, also because Bangelmeier sees himself as an “advocate of stationary trade”, but sooner or later one will be set up.
Anita Katzengruber from “Kleid macht Menschen” and “In the Box” is in good demand with customer inquiries via all online channels and by telephone. She also does not understand that Upper Austria does not open until December 17th: “The few days before Christmas are too short to generate sales, and for many customers the date is already too late to do Christmas shopping take care of.”
Katzengruber is now expecting to stay mostly on the winter collection. It is also present online in lockdown, for example with Instagram stories and product presentations, in order to be remembered by people. In difficult times like these she is grateful “for the loyalty of our customers and our great team”.
Source: Nachrichten
