Shopping mood in Linz: Christmas business starts with ups and downs!

Shopping mood in Linz: Christmas business starts with ups and downs!

Current surveys show that Austrians want to spend significantly less on Christmas presents this year. According to a survey by IMAS, people plan to spend an average of 320 euros, which means a decrease of around 100 euros compared to last year. Nevertheless, the Linz trade exudes optimism that the buying mood is increasing meinkreis.at reported. Matthias Wied-Baumgartner, chairman of the City Ring, noted that customer frequency on Linzer Landstrasse has increased noticeably, especially since the opening of the Christmas markets. He described the atmosphere as an “Advent atmosphere” that attracts visitors.

Purchasing behavior and sales conclusions

There seems to be an increasing frequency in Linz's department stores. Passage manager Julia Kretz has promising figures: “The frequency on the country road has shown a strong increase since mid-November.” Compared to the previous year, the Linzerie even recorded a 25 percent increase in visitor numbers in November. On the other hand, Daniel Wenger from Games, Toys & More reports that business on Wiener Straße is weaker, with a possible loss of 20 to 30 percent.

apotheke-adhoc.de reported. Two out of three respondents stated that customer frequency in pharmacies had fallen compared to the previous year. In addition, 52 percent of pharmacists expect a decline in sales in the OTC sector. The restrictions caused by the corona pandemic, such as contact restrictions and a higher migration to online ordering, are endangering the Christmas business. A significant number of pharmacies have already adjusted their orders and expect lower sales figures for many traditional Christmas products, such as cosmetics.

Overall, there is a picture of uncertainty, both among retailers and in pharmacies. The prospects for a successful Christmas business are clouded by the challenges caused by the pandemic, while at the same time the purchasing mood in Linz is perceived to be increasing.