"We can't hold out much longer": Geltinger village shop is threatened with bankruptcy

Created: 2022-11-24 09:57

A model for success and a showpiece: the village shop in Gelting has been around for 14 years.

There were always problems during this time.

But now the cooperative shop is threatened with bankruptcy.

© Sabine Hermsdorf-Hiss

The village shop in Gelting has been around for 14 years.

There were always problems during this time.

Now the cooperative shop is threatened with bankruptcy.

Gelting - He was and is a successful model, a successful example of how a village solves the difficult issue of local supply itself.

Now the Geltinger cooperative village shop is on the verge of bankruptcy.

In a circular email, the 257 shareholders were informed of the alarming situation by the board of directors.

“Sales have fallen sharply since September.

We won't be able to hold out for much longer," said Silke Noeller-Granget, CEO, in an interview with our newspaper.

Gelting: 20 percent less sales in the village shop than necessary

There were always problems in the corner shop on the village square, which was founded 14 years ago with great idealism.

Initially, the range, especially the fruit and vegetables, did not really convince the customers.

Then there were internal disputes.

There was actually always a shortage of staff.

The small grocery store was still in the black year after year, even if the profits were mostly manageable.

But at least there was always a black zero under the line.

At the moment you are in the red.

“Sales in September, October and November each fell by ten percent compared to the previous year.

We are at least 20 percent below what is necessary,” reports Noeller-Granget.

Given an inflation rate of 10.4 percent, customers would rather shop at the discounter and look out for special offers than visit the rather expensive village store, she believes.

"You can understand that in part," says Managing Director Eva Kirchner.

On Tuesday she had time for a phone call during the sale, so little was going on in the morning.

In the past, that would have been unthinkable, especially at the end of November, when the Christmas business is gradually beginning, says Kirchner.

She has shared management with two colleagues for six years.

During this time she got to know many customers and addressed many of them by their names.

"Some of them are staying away now," the team leader responsible for orders and sales found.

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Gelting: Founding father Mellwig convenes crisis meeting

Klaus Peter Mellwig, once the motor and founding member of the village shop, is still one of the loyal customers.

“My wife and I go to the village shop first with our shopping list.

We only buy what we can't get there elsewhere," says the pensioner.

The “father of the village shop” is extremely worried about its future.

For this Wednesday he has invited management, supervisory board and team management as well as Wolfgang Gröll to his home for a crisis meeting - he calls the meeting "Geltinger Breakfast" in allusion to the famous Wolfratshauer breakfast.

The cooperative hopes to get advice from Gröll, the former board member of the Association of Village Shops and advisor to the Geltinger from the very beginning.

Geltinger Dorfladen: Turnover should increase significantly

Sales would have to increase significantly again, says Mellwig.

Because the current high energy costs hit the cooperative shop just like everyone else.

Electricity, for example for cooling, can hardly be saved in the food sector.

In addition, the small company is struggling with the increased personnel costs.

The minimum wage for low earners was raised to twelve euros by law.

At the same time, according to Noeller-Granget, the village shop paid its part-time workers more wages for reasons of equal treatment.

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That's why the mom-and-pop shop can't avoid raising the prices for the goods.

"We cannot and do not want to mess with the suppliers like Edeka, Rewe and Co," says the chairwoman.

Eva Kirchner points out that the prices for butter, for example, are no higher than in the supermarket.

She advertises the numerous specialties of the village shop, made by regional bakers, butchers and dairy farmers: "Despite the rise in raw material prices, our fine Christmas cookies from Angermühle in Egling are no more expensive than last year."

Also read: Village shop opened: Stein has a local supplier again

The five members of the board of directors and the shop's twelve employees appeal to the citizens of Gelting to support "their" local suppliers - with regular shopping, with visits to the café or with the purchase of gift vouchers for Christmas.

In the next few days, those responsible want to throw flyers with this appeal in all mailboxes in town.

If the advertising campaign is fruitless, according to Noeller-Granget, the business is threatened with bankruptcy in the spring.

The reserves will eventually run out.

After all, you have to pay back each cooperative member's 180 euros per share in the end.

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