“Things went better last year”: Bad weather ruined business at Christmas markets

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Gray skies, wet benches, individual guests huddled under their umbrellas. There is no trace of the winter atmosphere in the Christmas markets at the moment. Stand operators have a difficult time. Who wants to let constant rain ruin their raclette and gift hunt?

Remy Suter (33) stands wrapped up at his booth at Zurich Wienachtsdorf on Zurich’s Secchseläutenplatz. She sells homemade collars, leashes and blankets for dogs. “Things were better last year,” he says. The weather is to blame. “Of course there are always bad days. But when it rains a lot, fewer people come.”

Suter isn’t the only one experiencing a drop in sales due to weather conditions. Katja Weber, founder of Zurich Wienachtsdorf, explains that the weather also affects the mood and the length of time passers-by stay at the Christmas market. “If it’s not comfortable to move around, customers will buy less.”

This year, the bad weather started before the Christmas markets even opened: organizers had to set up chalets, decorate trees and hang fairy lights in the pouring rain. It’s not Christmassy at all.

Snacking while shearing

A similar picture emerges in the federal capital. “We run the risk of customers not coming out from under the gazebos,” says Matthias Hauert (48), head of the Bern Münster Christmas market. Guests prefer to eat Bernese hazelnut treats dry.

Janine Pfister (45) of Zurich Bellevue is hopeful. She sells her own picture book and greeting cards. «Last year I was at the Christmas market in Münsterhof. Things are not going so bad for me at Sechseläutenplatz.”

Its location is very important. Still, he hoped for more: “There has long been a Christmas market on every corner in Zurich. “People are extremely disorganized.” But he’s looking forward to the last few days before Christmas Eve. “The weather will be very nice over the weekend. I hope this will give another impetus.”

They challenge the rain

Stand operators don’t want to hang around anyway. For example, the organizers of the miracle village in Baden AG, when asked how they were “very surprised that the people of Baden are so weather-resistant and can leave the house in all weather conditions,” wrote:

Rico De Bona, OK President of Lozärner Wiehnachtsmärt in Franziskanerplatz, adds: “So far we have experienced everything from heavy snowfall, sun, constant rain to dry spells with pleasant temperatures.” Now he’s hoping to make a good finishing move. Because De Bona knows this: “Reconciliation will eventually be made.”

Source :Blick