Summer sales postponed, Security Council to meet on Wednesday
The federal minister of consumer affairs is pushing through a proposal to move the summer sales period to August so shops can try to recoup some of this spring’s losses
Big announcements next week
While the proposal still has to be approved by the federal council of ministers, this is somewhat of a formality as the decision has full party support, said Muylle. This means that the sperperiode, the month before the sales in which shops may not offer discounts, will move to July.
“We have submitted a proposal to postpone the sales period to 1 August, and to make the previous month the sperperiode,” Muylle told Radio 1 this morning. “There were many requests from the sector to make the sales situation clear, and now we have offered that clarity.”
In Belgium, sales periods are mandated by law. The summer sales period is in July, while the winter sales period is in January. Shops are severely limited in how they can offer discounts outside of that period
The retail sector wanted the summer sales period to be postponed as there was a concern that spring and summer stock would immediately have to be offered at discounted prices, not allowing them to make up any of the loss from the shutdown period.
Festival summer?
The Security Council, meanwhile, will reconvene next Wednesday to make a decision on the current measures in force to contain the spread of Covid-19. Current measures are in force until 19 April.
Aside from announcing whether quarantine measures will stay in place for a longer period of time, the council is expected to confirm whether summer festivals will have to be cancelled. Flemish minister-president Jan Jambon said that announcements would concern at least festivals that take place in July, if not August.
Earlier this week, interior minister Pieter De Crem said that festivals that take place in July, which include Rock Werchter and Tomorrowland, should probably prepare for the worst. The mayor of Boom, where Tomorrowland takes place has already stated that he is not in favour of the festival going forward this year.
While Rock Werchter and Tomorrowland are the biggest summer music festivals in Belgium, there are many more that take place in July, such as Gent Jazz, Couleur Café in Brussels, Bruges’s Cactus Festival and Sfinks Mixed in Boechout.
Photo: Hatim Kaghat/BELGA
