Economics
Germany to Reopen Stores in First Step Toward Post-Virus Era
- Widespread testing, public discipline are helping limit spread
- Merkel’s crisis response has won praise, broad public support
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Philipp Frese can’t wait to unlock the doors of his bed and mattress store in southern Germany on Monday, ending a month-long coronavirus lockdown that’s all but destroyed his hopes for a profit this year.
The restrictions have been “a threat to our existence as a business,” said Frese, whose sales slumped by 90% in March while costs only went down by a third. “You need to meet customers face to face to sell them pillows and mattresses.”