'We need life again'; Germans flock to shops, worrying Merkel

Germans returned to the shops on Monday, craving retail therapy after a month of lockdown, but Chancellor Angela Merkel was worried that they could increase coronavirus infections again just as the number of new cases had started to slow.

Shops up to 800 sq metres, as well as car and bicycle dealers and bookstores, are allowed to reopen this week under an agreement with the leaders of Germany’s 16 states. Schools are set to begin reopening in two weeks.

Europe’s largest economy has relied more on domestic demand in recent years as the strength of its traditional export engine has faded, and the move echoes a slow easing in neighbouring countries, equally desperate to revive business and society.

“We need life again. This whole time it was like a ghost town,” said Michaela Frieser, not wearing a face mask, in Frankfurt’s main shopping district. “The sun’s out, we saved enough money and now we need to go out and spend it!”

The federal and state governments have strongly recommended that Germans wear face masks when shopping and on public transport, and some states have even made that compulsory.