BERLIN — Germany’s prolonged nationwide lockdown to halt rising COVID-19 infections threatens the survival of automotive retailers, the ZDK sellers’ foyer group mentioned.
The ZDK called for the immediate reopening of dealerships, which it mentioned are protected locations to conduct enterprise due to their giant dimension and the low variety of clients in shops at anyone time.
The all-important spring enterprise is at risk of largely failing for the second 12 months in a row, ZDK president Juergen Karpinski mentioned.
“Hundreds of family-run dealerships are in instant hazard of going bankrupt,” he mentioned. “They’re paying the operating prices of maintaining the lights on, though the dealerships are closed.”
New-car gross sales have plunged for the reason that authorities ordered showrooms to close on December 16. The nation’s lockdown, which impacts non-essential companies, has been prolonged to April 18, as extra infectious coronavirus variants threaten to overwhelm hospitals.
A ZDK survey of two,000 automotive dealerships and automotive companies in February discovered incoming orders in January and February slumped by as much as 60 %. Registrations in Germany fell 19 percent to 194,349 in February. Prospects should buy automobiles on-line and choose them up from dealerships.
Karpinski mentioned a system of fast COVID-19 assessments and a contact tracing system can be utilized to make visits protected. “We’ve dealerships with 15,000 square-meter showrooms, and the logic of not with the ability to have clients in there’s not possible to grasp,” he mentioned.
Showroom dimension and low buyer density make visiting dealerships nearly as protected as being within the outside, Karpinski mentioned, pointing to a report from the Robert Koch Institute, a authorities analysis facility.
Karpinski mentioned as a result of 90 % of all gross sales are made on the native dealership and never on-line, the present “Click on and Acquire” choice is an unsatisfactory answer. “Prospects need to sit within the automobiles, see the colours, they need to take a look at drive the automobiles,” he mentioned. “It’s an emotional expertise.”
Germany’s vaccination course of must be massively accelerated and expanded to broader populations, he mentioned.
The ZDK helps use of the Luca App, which permits contact tracing. The Luca app lets customers scan a QR code with their smartphone to examine out and in of areas, with contact knowledge securely despatched to the suitable well being division.
“We need to contribute to essentially the most complete use of Luca attainable,” Karpinski mentioned. “We’d like the fast opening of all automotive dealerships, and we want it now. Many companies are operating out of steam, and jobs are threatened.”
He mentioned it will be “irresponsible” to shut automotive dealerships and never use the potential of current digital options. “We’re in a compelled shutdown, and we can’t perceive why the federal government is coping with the state of affairs this fashion,” Karpinski mentioned.
The ZDK’s assertion follows a protest by sellers in entrance of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s workplace on March 18, in an effort to construct help for a nationwide re-opening of dealerships.
For bigger seller networks, nonetheless, there are indicators of optimism. Mercedes-Benz nationwide gross sales firm mentioned its dealerships will proceed to be open throughout the lockdown, for gross sales with Click on & Acquire and servicing.
“We’re optimistic about developments this 12 months. We’re seeing a powerful improve within the on-line reserving and consulting course of,” the corporate mentioned in an emailed assertion.
The VDA auto trade foyer group additionally responded positively to the federal government’s reversal on Wednesday of a so-called “Easter relaxation” that may have shut retails shops for 5 full days. In a press release VDA President Hildegard Mueller known as on all stakeholders to work collectively to seek out options.