The small merchants see the patronage of the big ones and demand justice: they all close

See discrimination

With the number of coronavirus infections increasing in the country, a government meeting on Sunday decided to further toughen management measures for the pandemic. This will affect both the movement between municipalities, the provision of some services and the operation of businesses as of Wednesday.

The government resolution states that as of December 6, only convenience stores whose main activity is the sale of food, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, optical items and orthopedic technical equipment will be able to operate. Food trading will also be allowed in markets and other public outlets, as well as online trading.

For market representatives, these government plans appear unfair and discriminatory, since while markets can only trade food, supermarkets will continue to sell clothing, footwear and other household and industrial items.

Zita Sorokienė, president of the Association of Small Entrepreneurs and Merchants, explained to Delfi that today more than half of the space on the shelves of large supermarkets is occupied by industrial products.

“If it is said that only food products can be sold, then I believe that domestic and industrial products should not be sold in supermarkets either. And there are footwear, crockery and other goods that are also traded in the markets.

There would be no difficulty in determining what exactly falls within the definition of food products. As with alcohol, when it is found that it cannot be marketed during certain hours. After all, it just doesn’t make it to the box office and that’s it, “he suggested.

According to Z. Sorokienė, today there is more and more talk about large flows of buyers in supermarkets and their restriction, but, as he emphasized, with fewer places to shop, this will have the opposite effect: the flows will increase even more.

“We understand the situation, it is threatening, no small businessman will oppose the restrictions on the functioning of the markets, but he is angry precisely because some will be able to trade and others are absolutely impossible. This is openly visible discrimination.

We are not saying that the Government has done it wrong by not allowing non-food products to be marketed in the markets, it has done it well, but the principle of justice must be followed and then not allowing everyone to do so. “It does not matter that the main activity is the food trade, because we all know that almost half of the goods are industrial,” he said.

It is true that in Latvia, as reported by local portals, there was also the problem of trade in non-food products in the larger stores. Finally, it was decided to restrict the trade in household goods. In Latvia, only outlets that sell fuel, food (except alcohol) and certain hygiene products can be open on weekends and holidays. This is said to have been done to limit the crowding of customers and thus reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Bazaar – a safe place

Dalia Lukauskienė, Raseiniai market manager, said she also sees huge inequality between large stores and markets.

“Imagine what kind of space we have, 10 meters away, selling socks outside, then knitting slippers, what is bad? So why is it necessary to prevent them from working? And other stores already available? This is great discrimination. “We cannot trade not because we are sick or something is wrong, but simply because there is no equality,” he said.

D. Lukauskienė emphasized that the government, if it no longer allows it to function, must provide at least adequate support.

“We need more support. There is one of those markets in Raseiniai, only the rent costs 400 euros, the other and 500 euros pay.

After all, we are not telling you to close them, but to leave us. Close them all then, ”said market manager Raseiniai.

It was also supported by Vytenis Butkevičius, director of the Lithuanian Association of Markets and Marketplaces.

“I also see a big problem here. Again, as in the first quarantine, the principles of fair and fair competition have been violated. <...>

Large retail chains with a large capital, hundreds of millions in turnover, are being sponsored, he can trade all he wants, and that small businessman who may not have anything to spend children in school to pay a loan is being discriminated until the present day. What is injustice here? “, I ask.

According to V. Butkevičius, marketplaces are a much safer place than shopping centers and, if necessary, can be adapted to all requirements.

“We can train people at the entrances to measure temperatures, we can limit flows, guarantee all recommendations, invest. Why are we discriminated against?” Said the head of the association.

Šimonytė: we do not know the solution, if we find it, we will offer it

Monday’s government meeting, which reviewed quarantine measures, also addressed the sale of household and industrial items at the largest grocery stores.

“We have nuances with trade. The first is the sale of non-food products in large supermarkets, which is why everyone has probably received suggestions from smaller companies that this appears to distort competition, as smaller non-food retailers are restricted and food companies have a very wide range, including non-food. goods.

This is a double bottom problem, because in the spring, during the quarantine, that problem also arose, but no one found a good solution and that is why the rules were applied. There are states that list what commodities are and are only sold, there are states and in our neighborhood that do not allow non-food trade on weekends, but again, you need to clarify how many of those non-food commodities are and what we are on. talking. household appliances and whether the batteries are household appliances, etc. “- said Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonyt dijo at the meeting, adding that she understands that the tension, in this case, due to the conditions of competition, is really there, but today it is difficult to find a solution.

“It is difficult to find a logical solution, since no one found it half a year ago and I do not know if we will find it at today’s meeting,” he said.

The Minister of Economy and Innovation Aušrinė Armonaitė also explained that today she has no way out of this situation.

“I think that none of those present at this meeting are very happy that they should be accepted and we recognize that small (business publishers) will be affected, but now additional repressive measures are taken and they wrap shampoos or other products in supermarkets with strips red stop lights, there would also be even more undirected energy there.

In the Ministry of the Economy, in other ministries, we are working to help and start more quickly with business support measures, which, I emphasize, will be aimed mainly at small and medium-sized companies. We know very well the consequences of these decisions. <...>

We understand that this is not the most perfect solution, that it will have consequences. <...> If we find a better solution, we will definitely fix it, ”he said.

I. Šimonytė also reaffirmed that so far the situation and order remain as they are.

<...> there is that tension on the conditions of competition and that displeases me, but today we do not have a good solution. We can discuss. Rasim, we will suggest that we will probably have to try to get out of this situation sooner, “said the Prime Minister.

Mauritius: quarantine should not be the reason for the proliferation of supermarkets

Sigismund Mauricas, an economist at Luminor Bank, said of the limited sales in the markets that there were probably no restrictions that were completely correct.

“There is always a gray area that changes consumer behavior in one way or another. And that challenge exists in many other countries in the world and in Europe, when certain winners and losers stand out when one or another type of economic activity is restricted. And it is really a headache for many European countries that small and medium-sized companies suffer relatively more during such quarantines, ”he said.

According to the economist, supermarkets are winning the battle this time, and the reason for all this is that a large part of their offer is not food, but industrial goods, which they can successfully market due to less competition.

“Large supermarkets often even increase their turnover, and the turnover of other merchants falls drastically,” he said, adding that in this case, companies that are closed should be generously supported.

“You have to make sure that the quarantine doesn’t become the cause of even more shopping malls. “Another thing to see when the epidemiological situation is improving is to consider the opening of non-food stores, because the main chimneys are not stores,” said the economist.

Ž. Mauricas, responding to a proposal by small business owners to also ban non-food stores in chain stores, said he did not support such a proposal.

“It would be much more here that you neither receive nor give to another.

I think those household items in supermarkets are more basic, simple. I would be more inclined to negotiate support than to close other businesses, oddly enough, because now it is that if I feel bad, it means doing bad to others.

I think there should be more emphasis on support, “he said.