Petition launched for non essential stores to reopen

Retailers' organization INretail launched a petition for the government to relax the coronavirus lockdown so that non-essential stores can reopen fully. According to the organization, 56 thousand stores have been affected by the lockdown and will only be able to survive by "realizing actual turnover".

This week, non-essential stores were allowed to reopen for shopping-by-appointment. But they're only allowed to have two customers per floor in each time slot of at least ten minutes. And that is not helping, Jan Meerman of INretail said to ANP. According to him, it is safe to reopen stores.

Non-essential stores are missing out on 700 million euros in turnover per week and between 50 thousand and 60 thousand jobs are at risk, INretail said. The petition was signed over 6,200 times by 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The retailers organization also filed a lawsuit in an attempt to force the government to reopen stores. That case appears in court next week.