Cry for help from Eimsbüttel: stationery store is fighting for survival!

Cry for help from Eimsbüttel: stationery store is fighting for survival!

There is great uncertainty in retail in Hamburg-Eimsbüttel, especially for small, owner-managed shops. This is also the case in the “Hamburger Schreibwarenkontor”, where owner Andreas Bonertz has put out a call for help to save his business. In these challenging times, small shops are suffering from fewer customers, not least because of a large construction site right in front of the door that makes access difficult. The situation is tense because Bonertz had to close its second store at Osterstrasse 158 in May.

The situation for small retailers has worsened since the Corona pandemic. Owners like Bonertz face the challenge of keeping up with large retail chains that can gain an advantage thanks to their broad product range and optimized supply chains. During the lockdown, many of them experienced dramatic declines in sales, which poses a huge economic challenge for the entire industry. According to Statista, retail was heavily affected by the Corona measures, especially restaurants and leisure-related facilities. The German trade association estimated daily losses for non-food retailers at around one billion euros.

Help from the neighborhood

With the aim of supporting Bonertz, parents in the neighborhood came up with the idea of ​​buying school supplies directly from the “Hamburger Schreibwarenkontor” instead of ordering online. An important step not only to save the store, but also to promote the local economy. This call has shed a ray of light into the dark times that small businesses have had to endure due to the pandemic.

There are many ways to support small businesses. The ZukunftHandel initiative from Google and the trade association has provided digital tools to help local trade get going. Tips such as researching online and then purchasing locally can help small retailers get through the difficult times. A positive review post on Google Maps or a greeting from the neighborhood on social media can work wonders.

Strengthened from the crisis

The months of November and December are traditionally high sales for many businesses. The time could finally come when smaller shops will flourish again. The future looks bright if the community sticks together and supports local retailers. The painful experiences of the last few years, especially during the lockdowns, show how important solidarity and support with each other are. Every purchase counts, be it for school supplies in the “Hamburger Schreibwarenkontor” or in other small shops in the neighborhood.

What remains is the hope that people will increasingly return to small, local shops and thus help not only Andreas Bonertz, but also many others in the Hanseatic city. Because one thing is clear: networking within the neighborhood and the courage to support can make a big difference, not only for the individual business, but for the entire culture of shopping in Hamburg.