Corona Crisis: VDIK and ZDK Welcome Reopening of Car Dealerships

The Association of International Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (VDIK) has welcomed the reopening of car dealerships agreed upon by the Chancellor and the state premiers. According to the decision, car dealers can reopen regardless of the size of their sales area. The Central Association of the German Motor Vehicle Trade (ZDK) also expressed pleasure over the reopening:

"This is an important signal to car dealerships, which can now finally re-enter the stationary business with end customers," said ZDK President Jürgen Karpinski.

Karpinski hopes that at least part of the largely lost and particularly important spring business can still be saved. However, it is mainly about defusing the increasingly threatening situation in the car trade and minimizing the insolvency risk of numerous small and medium-sized businesses in particular. 

Enough distance to comply with hygiene rules

The importer association VDIK, together with VDA, ZDK, and IG Metall, had already advocated last week for allowing the stationary sale of motor vehicles to end customers after the Chancellor's meeting with the state premiers. The argument was that the conditions in the automobile trade are characterized by comparatively large areas and a small number of customers present at the same time, which the politicians apparently followed. The minimum distances between individuals of 1.5 to 2 meters could thus be maintained, it was said. Queues at the checkout, crowds at shelves, switching shopping carts from customer to customer, and the constant exchange of goods for cash in personal contact do not occur in the automobile trade.

"The decision to reopen the car trade is correct and responsible. This can quickly contribute to the preservation of jobs and businesses in the automotive sector," welcomed VDIK President Reinhard Zirpel.

The VDIK member companies and their dealers would "fully" commit to complying with the specified health protection measures, Zirpel promised.