Many of the Grand Duchy's shops have had to turn to online platforms as a result of the social distancing measures put in place in mid-March. Online platform Letzshop.lu, which also runs a branch for vulnerable people only, has experienced huge success in the wake of the measures, and has dropped membership fees for 2020 due to the crisis.
Monique Schanen, who owns the Berdorfer cheese shop, has been selling her products on Letzshop for a week now, to the delight of her customers. She has put together packs of yoghurt, cheese, raclette, among others, which she dispatches from Monday to Wednesday so the products can be kept refrigerated as long as possible.
Although profits from the site do not match up to previous figures, it goes some way towards helping businesses get back on their feet. Denise Wolff, who owns Echternach florist "Blummegäertchen", has been selling flowers over the site since Valentine's Day, and said demand has risen sharply since the crisis began. The florist has received a high number of orders through the site.Overall, stores using the platform have noticed an uptick in their online sales, but Jerry Klein of Letzshop said it was not the platform's intention to replace bricks-and-mortar shops. Rather, Letzshop hoped to encourage Luxembourgish businesses to manage their e-commerce outlets and thereby reach a wider audience. That these efforts coincide with quarantine measures, is simply a bonus. Klein explained it was important in times of crisis to support local businesses, and he hoped to see more making use of the platform.
