Pockets not full yet, but a very satisfied smile. Sofia, the 19-year-old student, has been on the road for two hours. A shopping spree with her mother. She’s looking for “ski and snowboard stuff,” she says. “Finally,” she says, “shopping again without a mask.” Without feeling weird. And finally the Christmas market at Marienplatz again. “There’s more Christmas spirit than the two years before.”
Sofia (left) and her mum Adriana go shopping and enjoying that something resembling the Christmas spirit is finally back.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
Many people made their way to the city center on the first Saturday in Advent. 171,000 passers-by count the laser measuring devices hanging on numerous buildings in Kaufingerstrasse. On the previous Saturday there were still 130,000. The entire week had already “gone really well,” says Wolfgang Fischer, managing director of the Citypartner Munich corporate initiative. Compared to the previous week, there is an increase of 35 percent. But still ten percent less than in 2019.
After two years of Corona, the buying mood is “better than expected” despite the energy crisis and inflation, Fischer notes. As a reminder: in 2020 the trade had to close its shops due to the pandemic, and of course there were no Christmas markets either. In 2021 masks will be compulsory, again no Christmas market, the “ten square meters per customer rule and the curfew of the catering establishments at 10 p.m.. “Relief” is also the first word that Fischer calls when you call him after the “Satisfaction” is the second question. At least in moderation. According to Fischer, the overall conclusion of the shops for the first Saturday in the Christmas business is: “No euphoria, no records”.
“A good Saturday,” says Tobias Zipfer, store manager at Sport Schuster. About 10,000 customers came.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
Tobias Zipfer, store manager at Sporthaus Schuster, confirms Fischer’s impression. He stands at the front door on Saturday afternoon and opens it for customers. Sometimes he also stands at the information stand and looks over the sales area. There is a lot going on. An inconspicuous white box hangs from the ceiling at the entrance. It’s the customers who come in that count. “It’s going well,” says Zipfer, estimating that there could be around 10,000 customers. That’s a clear “good” on the rating scale from miserable to record-breaking. The queue at the checkout on the ground floor is long. The 100 salespeople who work this Saturday have their hands full. During the week it’s 60 to 70.
As late as October, says Zipfer, a “clear reluctance to buy” was noticeable. But that changed in November. He cites the first game of the NFL season in Munich as one reason, and now it was Black Friday and finally the Christmas market again, which always brings a “basic frequency to the city”. “Besides,” says the 39-year-old, “tourists are finally coming back.”
The weather is finally playing along: Many people buy chestnuts from Chamaina Pichler. She is happy that there is finally a Christmas market again.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
More and more people are out and about in the pedestrian zone in the early afternoon. The mulled wine stands are slowly filling up. Getting through will be much more difficult. Many advent strollers strengthen themselves, also at the chestnut stand in Sendlinger Straße, for example. Chamaina Pichler puts 22 chestnuts in a big bag for little Leni. For the brother and mom, as the girl says. “I put a few more in for you,” says Pichler, who comes from a family of showmen and is the fifth generation to sell chestnuts and all kinds of almonds at various stands. “Luckily the weather is good today,” says Pichler happily. Because the days before were rather “terrible”. “Today will be a good day.” Chamaina Pichler already knows that and is just happy that “we can finally go back”.
The buying mood is good: Watches are always popular in the Christmas business, but especially engagement rings, says Stefan Lindner, owner of Juwelier Fridrich.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
Rings, necklaces and watches can be tried on in the elegant ambience of the renovated Fridrich jewelery shop on Sendlinger Straße. It’s quiet, although many customers are looking at gems on velvety trays. Christmas is the core business for jewellers, “essential”, as co-owner Stefan Lindner, 63, says. You “fever” towards this time. And he is very happy. “We have a good feeling,” explains Lindner and is confident that this Christmas business will be good. The buying mood was “not clouded”. People want to treat themselves to something, give something to their loved ones and “let it cost them something,” says Lindner. Watches are the classic and rings, especially engagement rings, are in great demand. In fact, many men decide before Christmas to propose to their loved ones, says the jeweler.
Corona? This Saturday there is no longer any sign of the pandemic in the pedestrian zone. Hardly anyone wears a mask, hardly anyone wants to do without a shopping spree. “It’s absolutely wonderful to finally be able to do that again,” says a woman in her early 60s. Now Fischer hopes that many more people will find their way into the city center and shop in December. He doesn’t want to read a trend from the numbers yet. “It’s still too early on the first Saturday in Advent.” Because there is still a bitter pill. December 24th is a Saturday. A lost day for retailers as shops close at 2pm.