Lockdown Impact: 70k Italian Stores May Never Open Again, But Online Retailers Surge

by Breitbart
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC

 

 

The Italian business association Confesercenti has warned that as many as 70,000 shops across the county face closure due to the Wuhan coronavirus lockdown restrictions implemented by the government.

 

Despite the planned easing of restrictions on April 26th, the association has sounded the alarm over the potential closure of tens of thousands of stores this year due to a collapse of consumption and penalties for shopping centres.

Luciano Sbraga, director of the Italian Federation of Public Establishments (FIPE) in Rome, said his organisation was asking governments to allow restaurants to use parking spaces for additional tables and chairs, saying, “at this point, it is the only way to save companies”, Il Giornale reports.

 

Confcommercio, the Italian confederation for enterprises, professional activities, and self-employment, noted that “over 116,000 public establishments” would still remain in lockdown as they had no outdoor dining, which amounts to 46.6 per cent of the bars and restaurants in the country.

 

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