The news spread like wildfire in Weilheim: “Total sell-out at K&L, all branches are closing due to business closure.” Customers were shaken.
The management announced the end of the “K&L” brand.
But there is also good news.
Weilheim / Augsburg
- In November, K&L authorized signatory Rüdiger Herrmann spoke of a struggle for survival in which K&L and the parent company “Schuh Schmid” had found themselves.
However, he was optimistic that the fashion houses will successfully fight the Corona crisis.
Corona crisis: total sell-out at traditional Bavarian company K&L - business closure
In Weilheim yesterday it almost seemed as if the fight was lost.
A stand in front of the branch in the old town caused the worst to be feared.
The customers were greeted in large letters with the inscription: “Total sale.
Business abandonment.
We close."
K&L works council chief Christian Mautner had a curious explanation for the action yesterday.
When asked by the daily newspaper, he spoke of a “publicity stunt” and compared the name change to a well-known chocolate bar 30 years ago: “Raider becomes Twix, but nothing changes,” he said cheerfully.
After almost 60 years, the K&L brand in Weilheim disappears
K&L authorized signatory Rüdiger Herrmann
K&L authorized signatory Christian Mautner did not want to abandon the business transaction quite so casually: “After almost 60 years, the K&L brand in Weilheim is disappearing,” he pointed out.
Herrmann didn't want to talk about a “sad day” for Weilheim either.
It was probably for the Ruppert family, said the general manager with a view to the company founders who had retired a few years ago.
After almost 60 years: the K&L brand disappears - jobs in the 41 branches are retained
The employees can breathe a sigh of relief.
Operation in the 41 K&L branches across Germany continues.
"It will be an open-heart operation," says Herrmann, looking forward to the coming weeks.
With discounts of up to 70 percent, according to him, the winter goods are now being released before the new collection arrives in April.
Above all, it will also include significantly more shoes.
According to Hermann, however, the K&L own products will gradually disappear from the branches.
“Production is slowly being reduced to zero,” explained the authorized representative.
This also means changes for employees in the K&L headquarters in Paradeis.
K&L in Weilheim: In-house production is slowly being reduced to zero - "Corona was a high fire accelerator"
You will be given new tasks, since no more collections will be developed, explains Herrmann.
As reported, after the takeover by “Schuh Schmid”, the head office had been significantly reduced in size.
The logistics were relocated to Augsburg.
In the future, Reifen Baierlacher will use the vacant space in Weilheim (we reported).
The decision to give up the K&L brand was made about four months ago, according to the authorized representative.
"Corona was a high fire accelerator," Herrmann expresses it drastically.
It is now a matter of “bundling synergies”.
Since the district's vaccination center is already located in Peißenberg, there has also been a “Corona test center” in a caravan since Monday, which the “St.
Ulrich-Apotheke ”operates on behalf of the health department.
And a little over a year ago, a diagnosis for daughter Amelie turned the life of the Weith family from Schongau upside down.
The little one is ill with Rett Syndrome and has forgotten a lot.
By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our new, regular Weilheim-Penzberg newsletter.
(By Jörg von Rohland)