Metro expects a very unfavorable situation in Austrian gastronomy

The Austrian daughter of the German retail network Metro expects a very unfavorable situation in Austrian gastronomy due to the corona crisis and repeated lockdowns. "We assume that 20 to 30 percent of companies will not open more after the lockdown," APA quoted Austrian Metro leader Xavier Plotitz as saying. One of the signals may be a drop in its sales by 40 percent. "Especially in November, the situation worsened, but we will survive," Plotitz told the daily Kurier on the subject of Metro's activities in Austria. The recovery of the normal situation is not expected in the next 1.5 years. According to him, in the best case, the situation will normalize by 24 months, in the worst case by up to three years. It is not yet clear whether Metro will apply for additional state aid from corona crisis support funds. At present, suppliers of catering companies have the opportunity to claim compensation for the loss of sales, but according to Plotitz, they will probably not prove a loss of sales of at least 50 per cent, to which this aid is conditional. "We also have other clients, not just gastronomy," Plotitz explained. Various entrepreneurs can shop in the Metro, but in Austria, unlike in Germany, they do not plan to be able to shop in private. Metro Österreich currently has 80 percent of its staff on course, and opening hours for pandemics have been reduced from 10 pm to 7 pm. Nevertheless, the company is still looking for 60 employees and 40 apprentices.