The epidemic in France and Germany worsens, but the UK is celebrating "Happy Monday" and online shopping spending has increased significantly

Foreign media reported that the epidemic crisis in Europe may worsen this week due to the further deterioration of public health conditions in France and Germany. However, the UK, not far away, took another step on the road to easing the blockade on Monday.

France and Germany: It is worrying that Easter has been "resurrected" from the brink of lockdown

Now that Germany has extended its lockdown until April 18, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is calling on German states to take more measures to prevent the further spread of infection, and suggested that the federal government could take over some control from these regions to coordinate management and better contain the crisis.

The decision came despite Merkel's U-turn on plans to impose a strict Easter lockdown .

That's right, Merkel once drafted an Easter ban at a meeting, requiring Germans to stay at home and reduce social interactions for five days starting from April 1. Large family gatherings will be banned and almost all stores will be closed.

However, in a subsequent meeting, the plan was overturned, and Merkel said: "We have good reasons to do this, but these measures cannot be implemented well in a short period of time."

Germany reported 9,872 new cases on Monday, pushing its total infections past 22.7 million, and its intensive care doctors on Saturday called for a strict two-week lockdown to avoid overwhelming the health system. A similar call was made on Sunday in France, where cases continue to surge to alarming levels.

France reported 37,014 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of infections to more than 4.5 million, according to health ministry data. The government has imposed partial lockdowns on a dozen regions, including Paris, but new cases are still rising.

UK: "Happy Monday!" Seniors lead the e-commerce market

Just as people in Europe had to stay at home again because of the epidemic, on the other side of the English Channel, the UK further relaxed its lockdown measures starting Monday, and the "stay at home" regulations have ended.

The British media called this Monday "Happy Monday" because starting from Monday, the British can hold outdoor group gatherings of up to 6 people, and group sports can be put on the agenda again. However, the British government still very cautiously recommends that everyone continue to work from home if possible.

Starting from April 12, the UK also began to allow non-essential shops, hairdressers, beauty salons to open, as well as outdoor drinking and dining in bars and restaurants. The further relaxation of lockdown measures has also brought confidence to the British and promoted consumption to a certain extent.

Reuters reported on March 26 that UK retail sales rose in February, partly because Britons took advantage of the period before the lockdown measures were relaxed to buy outdoor furniture in preparation for garden gatherings. Not only outdoor furniture, but also clothing and sporting goods were popular, with 60% of consumers choosing to buy these products online, followed by travel, accommodation, household goods and toys.

It is worth mentioning that some media reported that the elderly in the UK have led the rapid growth of e-commerce in the UK. The third national lockdown caused the online shopping expenditure of retired British families in January to increase by 229% compared with the same period last year. More than 90% of British people over the age of 55 shop online.

Compared with young people who have little savings, the wallets of the elderly are still bulging, which is enough for sellers to explore the "elderly market". Sellers can also use safety, health and convenience as keywords, firmly grasp the psychology of elderly consumers, and adjust their sales strategies according to the shopping habits and needs of the elderly.

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