Rains in São Paulo: only in trade, loss can be R $ 110 million

São Paulo – The rain that has hit São Paulo since the evening of Sunday, 9, wreaks havoc through the city visible in the early hours of Monday morning, 10. Some companies, especially those located near Marginal Tietê and Marginal Pinheiros, in the south and west of the capital, today dawn underwater. As they try to organize to maintain at least part of their operation, the business accounts for losses from flooding and the lack of employees, who have failed to get to work. The retail of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, the Capital, ABCD paulista, Guarulhos and Osasco should stop making R$ 110 million on Monday because of the situation, according to projections by the Trade Federation of the State of São Paulo (Fecomércio-SP). According to Fecomércio-SP's economic advisor, Guilherme Dietze, this figure corresponds to 11% of the one-day revenue of stores installed in these regions and 0.40% of monthly revenues. In this calculation, the economist considered stores that were not opened due to lack of employees, others who opened, but with incomplete staff and should record very weak movement. According to Dietze, the segments most affected by the rains are supermarkets, pharmacies and impulse purchases, such as clothing items. On the other hand, higher value items, such as appliances, must have deferred purchases. Agency stopped Young & Rubicam agency president David Laloum said Monday that the agency's main advertising headquarters work is completely stopped. The company, which is located in Marginal Pinheiros, had the basement and parking taken by water in the early hours of Monday. "I tried to go to the agency because I live a mile away, but I couldn't get there because the water level won't stop climbing," he said. Y&R's guidance to employees is to stay at home. The agency has been monitoring the situation, but the current information is that the water level continued to rise throughout the morning. As part of the company's computer network underground, Laloum said there is a risk of injury to operations – the true extent of the problem should only be clear in the coming days, according to the executive. "We've had a similar problem about 15 years ago. It's really chaos." Y&R has offices in São Caetano do Sul, abc – to meet via Varejo's account – and Faria Lima. Some employees have managed to reach these locations, but the general guidance for all employees of the company on Monday is to avoid displacement. "I lost everything" Businessman Marcio Daré, 40, lost everything in the flood that hit greater São Paulo. He has a company developing special machinery and works with robots in the city of Osasco, in Greater SP. "I estimate that my loss was more than R $ 1 million", he says. MCK Industrial Automation operates in a commercial condominium that brings together about 30 sheds. "All companies have been affected," Daré says. He has 130 employees and says he will spend the day accounting for the losses. "I have insurance, but I don't know if insurance is going to cover this kind of episode. There are people who have been working in the condominium for over 20 years and say they have never seen a flood like this. I've never lived anything like it myself," he says. Daré says that the concern is not only with today, but with the next. "I have several orders, customer machines. I don't know how I'm going to deliver this or how the future of the company is going to be. Such a tragedy has caused many people to be harmed and many may even become unemployed," he says. Fabio Luís Schaderle, owner of jaguar restaurant in the São Paulo neighborhood of Campos Elíseos, decided not to open its doors on Monday. Half the staff couldn't get to work. Nor were the horticultural sums delivered, which he buys daily. Schaderle, who lives near the restaurant in the central region, had to walk to the scene because he couldn't get a taxi or an app car. The businessman says it is not possible to calculate the damage because of the rains. According to him, the losses should not be restricted to the approximately 60 meals daily that will stop serving. "I'm worried about the loss of inventory as well," he explains. Usually, it has products for one or two days. In the case of horticulturis, which are supplied daily, the entrepreneur is apprehensive about the price increase of these items that should occur because of losses and lower supply. "I'm going to have to change the menu," he predicts.