Inner cities: Karstadt and Kaufhof brands say goodbye as you say goodbye

Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof is trying to restart.

The group plans to invest several million euros in this.

The department store chain also wants to present itself with a new logo.

Essen - The inner cities are changing.

This also includes the departure of many traditional brands.

Karstadt * and Kaufhof are also affected.

The brand will gradually disappear from German city centers over the next few years.

Because Germany's largest department store chain Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof (GKK) wants to advertise for customers with a new logo under the name Galeria.

“At the opening of the Showcase branches on October 27th.

the logo will be used officially for the first time.

We will then gradually convert houses all over Germany and in the course of this we will also equip them with the new logo, ”announced CEO Miguel Müllenbach in an employee letter on Friday.

The "Wirtschaftswoche" had previously reported on it.

Galeria: making the realignment consciously visible

The new logo, a small "g" surrounded by three semicircles and the lettering Galeria in capital letters, will only gradually replace the familiar names Kaufhof and Karstadt, which are currently still on the department stores, in the course of conversions and renovations.

Karstadt and Kaufhof * are now one company, wrote Müllenbach.

“And we want to show that with the new logo.

And we also want to make our realignment as Galeria 2.0 self-confidently visible, ”emphasized the CEO.

Galeria: Group plans strategic Neustadt

The department store giant is planning a strategic restart after the challenges posed by the corona pandemic *.

The group plans to spend around 600 million euros on the renovation over the next three to four years, 400 million euros alone for the modernization of the 131 department stores.

At least 50 to 60 houses are to be completely rebuilt with the money, the rest at least partially, as Müllenbach announced in an interview a few weeks ago.

In the future, the retail giant wants to divide its houses into three different categories: cosmopolitan city house, regional magnet and local forum. The department stores in Frankfurt, Kassel and Kleve are to serve as pilot branches. "With regional magnets such as Kassel, for example, the aim is to enrich the offer with services, goods and experiences that are exactly in demand there," explained Müllenbach. "We want to become the networked heart of the city center - with concepts that are precisely tailored to the local location."