Mulled wine, bratwurst, roasted almonds – after the contact restrictions during Corona times, the Hessian Christmas markets are well filled again this year. And the visitors are as generous as they were before the pandemic.
Mengerskirchen (dpa/lhe) – After the lull during the corona pandemic, the showmen and women are happy about well-attended Christmas markets in Hesse again this year. Although there were fewer visitors than expected at the beginning due to the initial rainy weather, the optimistic expectations have also been fulfilled with the recent colder and dry weather, said Roger Simak, Managing Director of the State Association for Market Trade and Showmen Hesse, the German Press Agency. “So the trend, starting with the folk festivals in summer, has fortunately continued at the Christmas markets as well.”
In view of the decline in sales in stationary retail and the lack of guests in the catering trade, this positive development was quite surprising for the market suppliers, said Simak. “Therefore, on the one hand, we are humbled and very grateful that our business is running again after such a long standstill. On the other hand, it also shows that people clearly longed for this distraction.”
While strolling, visitors didn’t noticeably keep their money together despite high energy prices and inflation. “The willingness to spend money at the Christmas markets is indeed comparable to the time before the pandemic, but people – rightly so, I think – pay close attention to the prices.” Any exaggerations would “also be consistently punished”. As an association, you cannot directly influence pricing, but you have issued urgent appeals to only pass on price increases to an unavoidable extent. Many member companies followed this request.
Specialties such as cookies, gingerbread, marzipan, potato pancakes and chestnuts, roasted almonds or nuts as well as regional delicacies such as the marzipan pastry Bethmännchen in Frankfurt are particularly popular with customers this year. Like every year, the Christmas market classic, mulled wine, is also in demand. “However, it can also be seen here that – as with ordinary white or red wine – the quality and taste of the product are decisive for sales and turnover.” Despite the high running costs, the Christmas markets will pay off for the showmen Simak convinced. These costs also came about because many member companies had to take out loans during the pandemic, sometimes from relatives, friends or colleagues. “These funds had to and must now be repaid.” Money is also becoming significantly more expensive at banks, and in some cases state aid is returned after the final accounts if the corresponding sales are reported. “But that’s our real business, our members want to live from their own work and not from state aid.”
