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Swiss Hairdressers, DIY Stores Reopen in First Stage of Return to Normal

Switzerland took the first step of a three-stage return to normal.

Swiss Hairdressers, DIY Stores Reopen in First Stage of Return to Normal
Pedestrians walk down a street as the Swiss national flag hangs from a building. (Photographer: Matthew Lloyd/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) --

Switzerland took the first step of a three-stage return to normal, with hairdressers, garden centers, do-it-yourself stores and tattoo studios reopening for business after a six-week shutdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

A dozen vehicles lined up Monday morning to enter the parking lot of the Coop Bau & Hobby hardware store in the lakeside town of Kuesnacht, a 15-minute drive from central Zurich. Shoppers were seen loading up on potted plants, fertilizer, bark mulch and wood planks, with one saying the shutdown had put him four weeks behind in getting his garden ready for summer.

The Swiss government on March 16 ordered all shops, restaurants, entertainment and leisure venues to close, allowing only food stores to remain open.

Under the easing plan, compulsory schools and non-food stores will be allowed to reopen on May 11, while secondary schools, museums and libraries have to wait until June 8. But the government is facing pressure from small business owners, particularly restaurants, to allow a faster return.

In Zurich’s leafy Seefeld district, Martin Grossenbacher wrapped a large potted plant in cling film for delivery outside his flower shop. “We’ve been quite lucky,” he said when asked about the impact of government-ordered shutdown on his business. “We got off relatively lightly” because people continued to order flowers by phone and the shop switched to home delivery, said Grossenbacher, who has a staff of nine.

Chris Schmalholz, 34, owner the Stechwerk piercing studio in Zurich’s red-light district, said he’s relieved that there is traffic, but hasn’t seen a massive post-lockdown rush. Forced closure hit his four shops across Switzerland hard, he said, given high fixed costs.

Ruttikarn Eggert, a therapist at the nearby Montra Lanna Thai spa was still waiting for the first of two customers who booked a traditional Thai massage.

“I was sitting at home all this time and I’m very happy to be back,” she said, adding that the spa provides face masks for staff and clients.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.