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The Leiner car park in Steyr is already full in the morning and the one in Linz’s Grillparzerstrasse at midday, and there is a meter-long queue in front of the shops. Pensioners, young couples or families with children are waiting in vain for admission: because the rush is so great, the revolving door has been closed. At times, no one is allowed in via the side entrance either.
The queue at the cash registers is even longer than in the parking lot. Nevertheless, the atmosphere among the customers is surprisingly good, people talk and laugh – probably to forget their exhaustion. Waiting times of two hours are not uncommon. Anyone who has managed to pay will be let out through the side exit. Employees hold the door open for the fully-packed customers. A customer from Linz has to go back in several times to bring her entire purchase – numerous blankets and pillows – outside.
“Feel like a scavenger”
Both Leiner regular customers and people who have never shopped there before want to try their luck on Friday – minus thirty percent on everything and other discount campaigns. “I thought it was all minus 77 percent, as the ad said, but that’s probably just a joke,” says a customer in Steyr with humor. Another long-time customer from Steyr is sad about the loss of business. She’s still trying to get a bargain in the sale: “I feel a bit like a trespasser, but I have to look at the money,” she says to the OÖ Nachrichten.
The Leiner locations in Linz and Steyr were closed later in the morning due to overcrowding. “There are more customers than allowed in the store,” an employee asked for understanding that no one would be allowed into the house in the next 30 minutes and that block processing would apply.
The employees at the Steyr site take it all with admirable patience and work with full commitment, although they know that they will definitely lose their jobs. “Many cried when they found out,” says one employee. He already has two offers in his pocket. “At the end of June, when I get my notice, there will certainly be a few more. Anyone who can and wants something will find work immediately,” he says, not worried about his future. But it is not so easy for all colleagues. Says it and continues to serve the queue with a big smile – “I’m pretty sure I’ll get one back – that’s better than a grumpy face.”
A saleswoman in the kitchen department assured customers seeking advice that all goods already ordered would be delivered. There is currently a 30 percent discount on items in stock or on display. Even if she learned from the head office that vouchers could be redeemed in other Leiner branches that should remain in place, she advised a couple to use theirs now. Because in Upper Austria no house stays open.
Customer rush also at Kika
The Kika branch in Horn, which was affected by the closure, also experienced a rush of customers on Friday morning, which had hardly ever happened since it opened in the mid-1990s. Countless bargain hunters fought their way through the traffic jam with their cars as soon as they arrived. The final sale with discounts of up to minus 77 percent, which was visible from afar, seemed to work like a magnet.
Anyone who managed to get hold of one of the few parking spaces saw crowds of people inside the store and long queues at the cash registers. “Are you smart, they’re standing right up to the back,” said an older gentleman, quite aptly to acquaintances, in view of this scenery.
The desire to use vouchers that were still available is likely to have exacerbated the rush. Because of the announced bankruptcy filing, the Association for Consumer Information (VKI) advised in the middle of the week to redeem vouchers quickly. kika/Leiner, on the other hand, promises that all vouchers will remain valid. This should be possible because the new owner, Hermann Wieser, will assume liability for it through his companies, said one kika/Leiner spokesman on Friday. Because within the framework of the insolvency estate, vouchers may not be better off than other claims, as lawyer Michael Poduschka recalled.
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