It took almost five years, now the money is there: the municipality of Schwaigen received 182,400 euros from the Leader fund for its village shop.
Mayor Hubert Mangold is correspondingly satisfied.
Schwaigen - The waiting is over for Hubert Mangold. Almost five years after the commitment in December 2016, the funds from the EU Leader funding program have been deposited into the account of the Schwaigen municipality. She receives 182,400 euros to support the village shop. "The full amount that we had requested," emphasizes the mayor with satisfaction. Mangold openly admits that it took so long before the extensive audits by the EU authorities were completed, but it already bothered him. “Typically excessive bureaucracy,” he says. He has never been able to properly plan when and what amount will come. "But my - the main thing is that we have the money now."
The municipality of Schwaigen can definitely use it.
The village shop also had to fight its way through the corona crisis.
For example, with the short-term introduction of a delivery service during the lockdown.
"Fortunately, we reacted quickly and correctly," says Mangold.
After all, sales went up, even if profits plummeted.
"We missed the cyclists and day-trippers who sometimes sit down and have a drink or eat a cake," says the mayor.
Selling detergent doesn't have the same effect as serving cappuccino.
"You have a twelve percent margin on one, over 100 on the other - it's that simple."
580,000 euros annual turnover: the village shop has stabilized again
In the meantime, however, the business has clearly stabilized again.
The village shop has been consistently in the black for several months.
The annual turnover of 580,000 euros is “absolutely okay” in Mangold's eyes.
At the opening in August 2018, this was not necessarily to be expected.
“A project like this can fail, it's not like that,” the town hall chief points out.
In this context, he fondly remembers a rule of thumb that a colleague from a neighboring community gave him back then.
It reads: "Your village shop has to survive for three years - if it can do it, then it works."
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Mayor Hubert Mangold.
© Christian Fellner
Of course, it's not that simple - Hubert Mangold knows that too.
He affirmed: “Nothing works on its own.” The work of the private partners, who put many hours a week into the project, should be rated all the more highly.
The exchange with the community, which is itself one of the shareholders, takes place on a very constructive level.
“Everyone sees that what goes on.
That's the way it should be. "
Employees urgently wanted: "You bite granite with most of them these days."
Mangold, on the other hand, is less satisfied when it comes to finding new staff.
Hardly any young people were enthusiastic about a 450-euro temporary job at the counter or behind the cash register.
“You bite on granite with most of them these days.” He would love to open the village shop all the time, even in the afternoons.
It is currently closed on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1.30 p.m.
“But it just doesn't work without enough people.” A problem for which not even 182,000 euros in funding will help.
