Year: 2021

The past year has been hard for the service sector in general and especially for some companies in the specialty goods trade. Commerce expects the Government to make decisions in its budget session to boost new growth and increase employment. Tools used to achieve these objectives should include promoting local bargaining, ensuring consumers’ purchasing power and tax solutions that support the green transition.

The planned restrictions on movement would hit the specialty and household goods trades heavily, and have the same effect as restaurant closures, which means that such companies are in urgent need of support for closing as well as relief in tax arrangements. In addition to parcel pick-up points, collecting orders from the store reduces contacts and supports small stores during these difficult circumstances.

The government’s planned decisions on restriction of movement would hit the specialty and household goods trades heavily. The Finnish Commerce Federation demands that the government’s decisions be clear. If restrictions on movement really are implemented, the commerce sector companies suffering from the restrictions must be compensated for the negative financial impacts.

Commerce urges its customers to always use masks when visiting stores. However, commerce cannot turn away customers for not wearing a mask.

Retail sector turnover grew by almost four per cent during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, COVID-19 treated commerce industries very differently. The growth in last year’s turnover is not visible as growth in the number of people employed in the commerce sector or as new companies in the commerce sector. Instead, they continue their downward trend. The pandemic helped online retail reach record figures. Ensuring purchasing power, competence and entrepreneurship is key when advancing to the time after COVID-19.