Munich (dpa / lby) - The Bavarian retail trade looks with cautious confidence to the final Christmas sprint. "Business has gained momentum," says Bernd Ohlmann, Managing Director of the Bavarian Trade Association. The first two Advent weekends were good and he was also optimistic for the third. "However, we are still a long way from the pre-Corona sales of 2019," he qualifies. There can be no question of "Christmas shopping fever".
Overall, however, the trade has been satisfied so far, especially compared to 2021, when corona restrictions still applied, said Ohlmann. In terms of reluctance to buy, things weren't as bad as feared, although you can tell that many people are unsettled and are sometimes saving when buying gifts. And even with the feared delivery difficulties - including toys - it was less dramatic than partially predicted. Many dealers would have stocked up sufficiently. Nevertheless, Ohlmann advises buying in good time.
For the final sprint before the festival, the weather is now also important. The predicted snow could not only boost the shopping mood but also make gifts such as hats, scarves, gloves or skis more attractive, says Ohlmann. Overall, more is also being bought locally again. The share of online trade is declining somewhat - albeit at a high level. Here, too, the elimination of the corona restrictions compared to 2021 should play a central role.
