Sales in butcher shops develop very differently during the crisis
The corona crisis is leading to restrictions in public life, which as a result also have a significant impact on the sales and earnings of artisan butchers. This has become clear in the context of the regular analysis of costs and sales in the butcher's trade. The analysis is based on data from the company-specific sales and cost analyzes that the DFV has been offering its members for many years. The current analysis relates to the developments in the first half of 1. The results of the company-specific evaluations are summarized in an anonymous form of operating cost statistics. Included are sales developments, sales shares by sales channel, all costs and the operating results. Compared to the previous year, these values show erratic and inconsistent developments.
The trend clearly shows that the counter business has mostly developed very positively, while significant losses had to be accepted in wholesale/deliveries and especially in the area of party services. However, there were also deviations from this development.
Based on the results of five anonymous example farms, it should be made clear how different the deviations can be. Fig. 1 shows how the sales and operating results of various companies have developed compared to the first half of 1. The operating results do not result exclusively from the sales developments presented. Rather, the entire cost structure had to be recorded for this, which is not shown in the graphic.
Business C tends to be representative of most of the butcher shops examined. The total turnover increases slightly, resulting from a very good development of the counter business with a simultaneous decline in deliveries and in party service. The operating result (excluding depreciation) is positive.
Company A looks different, where deliveries were made to customers who also had a positive development in sales, deliveries to farm shops or weekly markets are conceivable. The development in company E, which had to record sales declines in all areas, is very negative. Here, for example, the location of the store may have played a major role.
The deployment of personnel during the crisis also has a significant impact on earnings. The figures show that companies that have been able to increase their sales significantly have not increased their staff or have been able to increase them accordingly, while companies that have recorded significant losses in sales have generally retained their staff and have not been able to reduce personnel costs. As a result, this development led to a further spread in the operating results.
It can be stated that the artisanal butchers as an industry came through the crisis quite well. However, the developments in the individual companies range from severe sales and earnings declines to decent profits.
