The name "Thalia" is to disappear
The name "Thalia" is to gradually disappear from Swiss book retailing and be replaced by the brand name Orell Füssli. The joint venture between Thalia and the Zurich-based retail and industry group had been announced at the beginning of March.
Thalia points out that established names should not disappear: The bookstores Stauffacher in Bern and Rösslitor in St. Gallen are regionally well anchored and should be allowed to keep their appearance, a spokesman for Thalia Bücher told the news agency SDA on Monday.
The company confirmed information published in the newspaper Schweiz am Sonntag the previous day. The joint venture Orell Füssli Thalia (OFT) is expected to start operations in the fall.
Orell Füssli and Thalia Holding, which in turn belongs to the German Douglas retail group, caused a stir in March with their joint venture. One reason for the merger is the strong competition from the Internet. Both partners hold 50 percent of the joint venture. The 14 Orell Füssli stores generated sales of 110 million Swiss francs last year, while the 22 Thalia stores brought in 131 million Swiss francs. Together, the companies achieve a dominant position in Swiss book sales.
Job cuts
The spokesman confirmed to SDA information from March according to which there will be job cuts. Over the next year and a half, 40 to 50 jobs are expected to be eliminated. There will be synergies in logistics, marketing and IT. Logistics and purchasing would be merged. Thalia has 650 employees, according to March figures, while Orell Füssli has 400 employees. (SDA)
Orell Füssli and Thalia merge book retailing business in Switzerland
Orell Füssli and Thalia become Orell Füssli Thalia
