Small businesses to see relief: First support for the 'keep supermarkets closed on Sundays' call

At the request of small business owners, the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) Retail Professional Committee organized a workshop attended by members representing all supermarkets in Istanbul to evaluate the problems faced by the sector. The most important agenda item of the workshop concerned the closure of chain supermarkets on Sundays, a topic the sector has been emphasizing for a long time.

"CHAIN SUPERMARKETS MUST BE CLOSED ON SUNDAYS"

The workshop, chaired by ITO Retail Professional Committee Chairman Yavuz Altun, was attended by ITO Vice President Ahmet Özer, Istanbul Provincial Director of Trade İsmail Menteşe, and Istanbul Provincial Director of Agriculture Ahmet Yavuz Karaca. During the workshop, which was open to members of the Retail Professional Committee, it was emphasized that closing supermarkets on Sundays has now become a necessity. Participants expressed their views by stating, "In terms of social balance and individual freedoms, chain supermarkets need to be closed on Sundays. This is also one of the sector's significant expectations. Because this is an important step for the survival of small businesses. Otherwise, they will have no chance of survival."

It was also stated at the workshop that if supermarket chains were closed on Sundays, consumers would turn to local grocers, and at least 15,000 to 20,000 new local grocery stores would begin operating in the Istanbul ecosystem. In this scenario, it was pointed out that supermarket employees would gain the opportunity to spend Sundays with their families, and this step was highlighted as an important development for social life.

A POTENTIAL 8-12 PERCENT DROP IN REVENUE

The issue of selling tobacco and alcohol products exclusively in local grocery stores and small businesses was also discussed at the workshop. According to statements made at the workshop, if the Sunday closure is implemented and tobacco and alcohol products are also not sold in chain supermarkets, a drop of between 8 and 12 percent could occur in the revenues of these supermarkets. In this case, it was expressed that even if chain supermarkets experience a decline in revenue, this figure is a price that must be paid for the survival of small businesses.

At the end of the workshop, the issue of closing supermarkets on Sundays was put to a vote by the participants. All participants voted in favor of closing supermarkets on Sundays, and a consensus was reached on the matter. The Istanbul Provincial Director of Agriculture and the Provincial Director of Trade also indicated that if all actors in the sector are in agreement, state institutions could approve such a decision.

News Source: 12punto