Corona also had the year 2021 firmly under control, which was not without consequences for retailers. Lockdown, longer delivery times and lockdown number two have influenced day-to-day business. The Innviertel businesspeople also report positive things: The importance of regionality has increased significantly and many customers have remained loyal to the local, stationary trade.
Especially when it comes to jewelry and traditional costume fashion, customers value the personal advice more than the bargain from the online giant. The frequency has decreased, but people have spent more money, says Christoph Vormaier, manager of the Rieder “Weberzeile” with satisfaction. The traders agree that the timing of the second lockdown was less than ideal. “The time after that was too short to get the Christmas business going again,” says Andrea Mittermayr.
Upward trend and atmosphere in the Weberzeile Ried
The Weberzeile has been in full operation again since Friday, December 17th. Center manager Christoph Vormair is extremely satisfied with the way things have gone over the past few days. It was especially busy on Friday and Saturday, but Sunday also brought – after a rather leisurely start – good sales. Across Austria, the average was around 50 percent of the previous day, the Weberzeile was well above it at just under 65 percent. “It has been shown that not everything is bought online, as feared. Lots of people have been waiting for the stationary trade and we are very happy about that, ”says Vormair. The Weberzeile customers appreciate not only the relaxed atmosphere, but also the hygiene in the shopping center. “There are numerous disinfectant dispensers. We have also significantly increased the cleaning of the handrails on the escalators and the toilets, for example, ”says Christoph Vormair. In general, 2021 was turbulent, but when trading was open, it was quite successful. “There were months when sales were even higher than those of 2019. The frequency has indeed decreased somewhat, but on average people have spent more money. That makes us confident. In any case, we will do everything we can to ensure that customers keep coming to us. “
Jewelry needs personal advice
“We were able to compensate for the spring lockdown pretty well over the rest of the year. That was 2020 and also this year”, say Klaus and Luzia Kettl, the owners of Schmollgruber jewelry. Klaus Kettl does not fully agree with the timing of the second lockdown. “That should have been ordered much earlier, then we could have had a much quieter Christmas business,” said the businessman from Ried. The online giants are not big spoilers in this branch. “Buyers want to see the piece as an original and also be able to touch it. When it comes to jewelry, a beautiful photo can also be deceptive,” says Klaus Kettl. Longer earrings are currently very much in vogue. There are no problems with raw materials as in other industries. “But longer delivery times are the order of the day. The problem is that many suppliers had their employees on short-time work and couldn’t keep up with the processing of the orders,” says Klaus Kettl.
Mode in Corona
There are no occasions for festive clothing, in the home office the sweatpants replace suits and suits. But before the fourth lockdown, the situation in the fashion industry had developed positively again. This year’s sales improved slightly compared to the previous year, says Andrea Mittermayr from the fashion house of the same name in Wildenau. The Christmas business went better in 2020, because the lockdown was ended before December 8th. The shops were therefore allowed to open two weeks before Christmas. This year it was only a week. Too short to get the Christmas business going. Clothing is often given for free at Christmas, but vouchers are much more in demand at this time. A high frequency is expected after the holidays, as most gift vouchers are redeemed immediately after Christmas. The online shop could not make up for the lockdown-related closings, but is being accepted more and more by regular customers, says Mittermayr.
Flowers in lockdown
“The time between the lockdowns went well,” says Clarissa Edthofer from Huemer Naturkunst in Gundertshausen (Eggelsberg). Even now, since it reopened on December 17th, many customers have come to the store to get flowers and gifts in time for Christmas. The time during the lockdowns was bridged at Huemer Naturkunst with a click-and-collect stand. Customers had the opportunity to buy selected goods in the fresh air around the clock. The money was simply thrown into a cash register. Edthofer and Alexander Huemer have already implemented the concept in the previous closings. The lockdown-related failures could not be compensated in this way and personal advice was only possible to a limited extent over the phone during this time, but the stand was well received every time, says Edthofer. Advent is especially important for florists.
Purchases after Christmas
“We were able to largely compensate for the first lockdown, but it will not be possible with the second,” analyzes Ingeborg Reiter, the department head of the Red-Zac store on Rieder Hauptplatz. The electronics store did not unlock it last Sunday. “In general, it can be said that customers are again relying more on regionality, and more money is being spent on more beautiful living. This also includes high-quality electrical appliances, ”says Ingeborg Reiter. At Christmas, espresso machines will be under the Christmas tree in many households. “Business is going very well there at the moment. The second lockdown really hurt. That ruined the classic Christmas business. It should have ended two weeks earlier. But we know that after Christmas in particular, there is almost more shopping than before. The recipients redeem the cash or vouchers they received, ”says the Rec Zac sales manager.
“Very good summer”
“Of course the lockdowns hit us this year – both in production and in sales. But there were also positive phases this year, such as in the summer and now again since last Friday, when an enormous number of customers come into our business. This onslaught even surprised me and we are very happy, ”says Carina Leithner from the family business Auzinger Tracht und Mode based in Enzenkirchen. People really appreciate the advice in business and the quality. “And regionality is written bigger than ever. Our customers very consciously shop here. Especially now their Christmas presents ”, says Leithner. Business with vouchers is also doing extremely well. “We have the corona-related ?? compulsory breaks ?? this year also used to implement the first part of our major renovation. In January we started building a new warehouse, which is now finished. The business will then be rebuilt and expanded in 2022, ”said Leithner.
Source: Nachrichten
