Joint appeal to the government in solidarity with the HDS/L
The ANWR Group, with its companies for the shoe, sports and leather goods trading segments and the DZB Bank, has developed a package of measures to support retail during the Corona crisis. In addition to advice and information on acute issues, the focus is on offerings that focus on the ability of trading partners to act, the group said. In addition, the ANWR Group and the Federal Association of the Shoe and Leather Goods Industry (HDS/L) are jointly appealing to the Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier to immediately support medium-sized trading companies.
“Our most urgent task is to support the members and trading partners of the affiliated associations with all the means at our disposal in this crisis that threatens our existence. To do this, we analyze and bundle the challenging topics in close coordination with our banks and specialist societies in order to provide the right answers and to offer solutions where we have it in our own hands,” says CEO Frank Schuffelen, describing the activities in Mainhausen. The primary goal is to support members and trading partners in all important matters and to work together with industry and associations on future-oriented solutions.
“We are all in the same boat and can only organize and overcome the challenges together. That's why it's particularly important to unite with everyone involved in this phase. “In addition, we need unbureaucratic and effective support from the state and the federal states, which reaches our members and trading partners directly,” said Schuffelen. The ANWR Group is therefore in discussions with federal and state governments, credit and development banks, trade credit insurers, the ZGV medium-sized business association and the HDS/L.
“Due to the ordered closures of shoe, sports and leather goods stores, retailers are missing the most important sales weeks for the spring/summer season. We cannot yet foresee the resulting negative effects,” emphasizes Fritz Terbuyken, the board member responsible for the shoe sector.
Together with DZB Bank, the ANWR Group has achieved further measures in addition to the increase in the seasonal line for trading companies that was already offered last week, which are not least possible through a partnership-based exchange with the industry. “We are in negotiations with all industrial partners regarding granting the highest possible value for current invoices,” explains board member Matthias Grevener. The suppliers were also asked to stop short-term deliveries to trading partners or to only arrange them on individual request.
The ANWR Shoe and Sport 2000 wholesalers will value outstanding invoices for 90 days and will no longer deliver any goods until further notice. The ANWR Group will also invest in SEO marketing for schuh.de in order to support e-commerce sales. The platform www.sport2000.com is scheduled to launch shortly as planned.
