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According to Comeos, the employers’ federation of the trade sector, the disappointing sales are partly due to the obligation to shop individually, the measure taken to combat the second wave of the corona virus. Comeos wants to get rid of the rule, which would also lead to aggression among customers.
A Comeos survey of members from the fashion and health & beauty sectors shows that their turnover fell by 40 percent compared to the sales period in July last year. Their number of passers-by also decreased by 35 percent. The value of the shopping cart would have increased slightly, by 5 percent.
“Individual shopping plays an important role in the decline in turnover and the number of shoppers. Couples are not allowed to enter together, even though the store is empty. Many buyers then simply drop out, ”Comeos says.
Incomprehension among customers
The members of Comeos therefore want to get rid of the rule. According to them, it would also lead to a lot of misunderstanding among customers and “this sometimes leads to aggression towards shop assistants and security guards”. “Three quarters of the surveyed members have already experienced aggression as a result of this rule. Bubble shopping should become possible, ”Comeos said.
That is why Comeos is organizing a workshop ‘Dealing with aggression in the workplace’ in collaboration with the unions. In the free workshop, members receive practical tips on how to respond concretely to aggressive customers.
An additional explanation for the bad sales is of course the heat wave, says Comeos. The postponement of the sales to August also appears to be a major culprit. “By rescheduling the sales, a lot of Belgians went shopping across the border or online in July,” says Kathy Bergen, fashion sector manager, in the press release.
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