It is beginning to arrive in Germany: The corona virus is here to stay and the measures will only get tougher. Nobody yet knows exactly how this will continue. At the moment, gastronomers in particular -and therefore the wholesale trade as well- suffer from the restrictions. The Berlin wholesale market is now looking for solutions to keep the companies afloat, says representative Mandy Bahr.
"The mood is frankly catastrophic. But how could it be otherwise? We have a 90% drop in sales due to the loss of large canteens, schools, daycare centres and catering. Many old-established family businesses don't know what to expect next month," she says. "It's really a dramatic situation, not only here, but all over Germany. And nobody really knows anything for sure."
Crisis management "from hour to hour" is now the motto: "We must now find solutions to keep the companies alive and thus secure the existence of entire families. Everything else is secondary now. We are just looking to get through the next few days."
Of course, the country's food supply depends on this undertaking. "We are here, you can still buy goods from us and we will continue to deliver. We are here for everyone and we are securing the supply." To ensure this, the supply chain has been optimized: "We work in such a way that there is as little contact as possible between employees, drivers no longer unload the goods themselves, there are separate shifts in the halls, safety distance, and so on. The traders are all trained and strictly adhere to the hygiene regulations - as usual. Now they go one step further." But even that doesn't make the virus disappear any faster, nor does it reopen the daycare centers or hotels.
Mandy Bahr (Fruchthof Berlin), Silke Pfeffer (FRISCHEZENTRUM Frankfurt am Main Großmarkt GmbH), Eliane Steinmeyer (Hamburg Wholesale Market for Fruit, Vegetables and Flowers) and Angelika Wiese (Munich Market Halls) at this year's Fruit Logistica.
"We can only wait and see and continue to make our contribution to supplying society until the nightmare is over."
For more information:
Mandy Bahr
Berliner Großmarkt GmbH
mbahr@berliner-grossmarkt.de