The government’s business liberalization plan has started: when will large stores, Ikea, Senukai open their doors fully?

Opening of supermarkets and department stores – later

As of this Monday, the Government has allowed the operation of shops, kiosks and pavilions in premises with a commercial area of ​​less than 300 square meters. meter. and for those who have a direct entry from the field or a separate entry used only by customers of that store.

Rūta Vainienė, director of the Lithuanian Trade Companies Association, said that the opening of all trade was initially foreseen in the scenario C presented above, but now the situation turned out to be quite different: part of the trade opening was postponed for later. stages, and supermarkets could only in the later stage B, which adjoins the latest release, stage A.

“We were all expecting trade liberalization in Scenario C, and now we see that it has moved to the limit with A when there will be 25 to 50 new cases of coronavirus in 14 days. Now we don’t know when it will be, maybe it will be in the fall, or it may never come, “he thought.

According to R. Vainienė, the openings are scheduled from Monday, when the commercial area does not exceed 300 square meters. m., they are very small.

“It will open … but it is, broadly speaking, the Drogo format, although some are larger,” he said, adding that there would be a total of 6 commercial changes with each release.

It is expected that in the next stage, as the quarantine is further released, in Scenario C, those businesses that could operate in premises with a total sales area of ​​no more than 1,500 m2. m, and with a new decrease in the number of cases, those with a commercial area of ​​up to 3,000 m2. meter.

In scenario B, with 50 to 100 cases for every 100,000 cases. In the last 4 days, bars and cafes were able to start operating in open spaces, and when 25-50 cases were registered per 100 thousand people in the last 14 days. residents: sports clubs, health service centers that provide recreational services.

It would also allow the operation of all shops, markets and other public points of sale with direct access from the outside, and would later exempt those that do not have it. This means that, as R. Vainienė mentioned, all stores and supermarkets could start operating and would no longer be subject to the restriction of commercial space or available entrance.

In the last scenario, A, the commercial space would be subject to a mandatory commercial space for a visitor, which is 20 square meters. it would be cut in half to 10 square meters. The cafes could also receive visitors inside.

Sportland CEO: I’m afraid we won’t open until spring

Merchants themselves are not satisfied with that government quarantine release plan, arguing that it is wrong for stores to open based on retail space rather than level of potential risk management.

Juras Vėželis, head of UAB Sportland, commented that only one of the smaller stores of this company will be able to operate from Monday.

“Wednesday’s decision and the announcement of the plan were very disappointing. I both lack a lot of appropriateness, consistency and logic.

Open-air trading of non-food products will be allowed from temporary trading facilities, which means open-air market traders will be able to trade and we will not be able to guarantee the flow of people according to all requirements.

This is very strange, because throughout the whole situation, our company guaranteed maximum security for both its employees and its customers.

In all our stores we did not have a single case that spread inside ”, said the head of the company.

As has been said, since most of the company’s stores are located in supermarkets and do not have a separate entrance from the outside, their opening, such a conclusion, could only be contemplated in a later B scenario.

“We just realized that we would be forced to close in mid-spring. And this is just a tragedy, “said J. Vėželis.

“I understand that the closure was made in the spring because it was not clear what we were facing, and now it seems strange to me that there is a breakdown of trade by areas instead of a possible level of risk management, even though it is done in the sector of services, ”he said.

According to J. Vėželis, the company he runs also operates in Estonia, where the number of new cases in stores can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and in Poland all supermarkets with a range of non-products have also started to operate. food. since the beginning of this month.

“I would like and want to believe that it is possible to agree and commit to act in an orderly and diplomatic manner, and now it seems that those who speak in an uplifting tone are opening up,” he said, adding that the moment was extremely difficult for the company.

“When we trade in specialized sporting goods and support Lithuanian sports and athletes, we are forced to close down and, based on published scenarios, it is not absolutely clear when we will be able to fully operate.

And since there is no approved rental compensation and we have a large area of ​​stores, all the costs press us more directly every day, ”said the manager.

Ikea and Senukai could start operations on stage B.

When the door could be opened by an Ikea store in the capital, according to a plan approved by the authorities, the newsroom asked representatives of the company.

Renata Dante, Head of Corporate Communications for the Baltic States, said that so far the situation is vague, making it difficult to say anything precise.

“Currently, precise information is lacking so that we can decide when it will be possible to open a physical Ikea store.

The area of ​​the Ikea store in Vilnius is about 30 thousand. kv. Most of this area is occupied by commercial spaces, “he said, ensuring that the safety of customers and employees is at the heart of the company, so it will be opened in full compliance with security requirements when permitted.

However, according to the plan presented by the authorities, it could probably be said that Ikea, like others of more than 3000 m2. meter. stores of commercial premises with independent entrance could potentially open their doors in the case of the first scenario B, with cases falling to 50-100,100 thousand. population in the last 4 days.

At the same time, large Senukai stores, whose retail space also exceeds 3,000 m2, could also start operating as fully as possible, thus excluding previous quarantine releases as well.

“Unfortunately, the recent government ‘releases’ do not fundamentally change the restrictions on our activities and do not allow us to operate on an equal footing.

We are ready to resume operations, ensuring all public safety requirements that apply to food supermarkets, including strengthening control over their implementation, “said Mantas Jurkus, vice president of Kesko Senukai, ensuring that the approved” commercial opening “plan by the Government promotes unfair competition in the commercial sector.

“Restrictions on company activities imposed as a result of the quarantine must be proportionate to all market participants and must not grant unjustified privileges to a business representative who discriminates against others.

And this can be done with total public safety. There is no need for discriminatory and anti-competitive regulation, with some traders allowed and others prohibited.

When the government restricted the activities of Senukai and other DIY stores in the sector, the situation was taken advantage of by large food retailers operating without restrictions, in a rush to offer customers all possible goods for home and repair.

Meanwhile, traditional sellers of these products, both small and large, suffer huge losses every day, ”he said.