Image: VOLKER Weihbold
“Such a question will also be examined. Of course, all options are examined in the course of the analyses”said Kika/Leiner spokesman Michael Slamanig in the Ö1″morning journal” on Wednesday. “There will be a decision next week.”
Yesterday, the new owner of the furniture chain announced that it would close 23 of its 40 locations by the end of July and lay off 1,900 of its 3,900 employees. The central departments and the administration should also “significantly” be reduced. The OÖ Nachrichten already reported on this on Tuesday.
After almost five years as owner, the Signa Retail Group also sold the Kika/Leiner real estate last week for an undisclosed price to the Supernova Group of the German specialist retailer Frank Albert. The furniture business had not made a profit for Signa in the past five years. The furniture chain was taken over with an operating loss of more than 150 million euros and in order to cover the running costs, the liquidity requirement with falling sales is around 8 to 10 million euros a month, explained the new owner Wieser yesterday in a broadcast.
Over the years, by the end of September 2021, Kika and Leiner had accumulated a balance sheet loss of 106 million euros and 83.7 million euros, respectively, according to the commercial register (Wirtschafts-Compass). More recent figures are not yet available.
The new management of the furniture chain is now trying to calm unsettled customers. “The down payments at Kika/Leiner are secured. Customers don’t need to worry. All orders are executed as ordered”said the Kika/Leiner spokesman.
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