Will there be any chaos in Hungarian stores again after the restrictions?

The latest restrictions in Hungary also affect the opening hours of the stores.

Although the exact rules are not yet known regarding the restrictions. The shops, inlcuding grocery stores, will certainly have to close at 7 pm on Wednesday. The main secretary of the National Trade Association, György Vámos, made a statement to napi.hu. He said the companies have already started preparing. He also said that the store chains have a large stock of goods, so there is no need to worry about a shortage.

In order to curb the epidemic, prime minister Viktor Orbán announced further restrictive measures on Monday. The operational staff has already made proposals for action. According to the prime minister, shops (including hairdressers and craft service providers) should close at 7 pm. This also applies to the stores of chain stores with the most extensive network. As the tightening will take place from midnight on Tuesday, the shops will have to close at 7 pm on Wednesday.  The more precise rules are expected later.

György Vámos, the main secretary of the National Trade Association, – representing among others Aldi, Auchan, Mol, Obi, Lidl, Media Markt, Spar, Tesco, Rossman, Spar, Praktiker and Penny Market- said on Monday:

“Although the specific legislation has not yet been published, chain stores will follow all the rules and have already started preparing after the announcement. The transition will be smooth. Besides, the companies are prepared for the next period, they have abundant goods, product base and supply.”

György Vámos highlighted the appropriate product range because in the first wave, the turnover of store chains increased explosively before the epidemic appeared in Hungary, at the end of February and during the spring curfew, and mainly due to logistical reasons, some products ran out of the store. Gabriella Heiszler, CEO of Spar, said apropos of the situation seen in the first wave back this summer: The onset of the pandemic posed a significant challenge for Spar as demand jumped abruptly and explosively, making it difficult to deal with the usual levels of goods. At the same time, according to her, not only Spar but all store chains and traders have proved that they are able to supply the Hungarian population with food even in difficult times.