The 24 stores in Switzerland will remain closed from Thursday and the online store will be deactivated, according to a press release issued by the company on Wednesday. Initially, the news portal 32Today reported on the end.

"With a heavy heart, we had to apply for the opening of bankruptcy proceedings for Weltbild Verlag GmbH on 21.08.2024," Weltbild addresses customers on its website. The employees have been released from their duties as of Thursday and no longer have to attend work, according to a letter to employees obtained by the news agency AWP.

Swiss part was profitable

The bankruptcy is all the more regrettable because the Swiss subsidiary had always been "a successful and profitable part" of the Weltbild Group, Weltbild Switzerland writes in the communiqué.

However, dependencies on the German parent company and the rapid escalation of the situation in Germany would have left no other option but to file for bankruptcy.

No more support from Germany

The background to this is the insolvency of the German parent company. This will now be finally liquidated at the beginning of September. The high costs in the operating business, particularly in the areas of IT and marketing, had made it impossible to continue the German parent company profitably in the face of strong competitive pressure.

However, with the rapid demise of the parent company, the systems required for continued operations in Switzerland would no longer be available. Similarly, no further services could be obtained from the parent company. "Without these prerequisites, which were still in prospect until recently", the company would no longer be able to realign itself independently in the coming months. This is all the more true because talks with existing and potential investors have not borne fruit.

In June, it was reported that the insolvency of the German parent company had no consequences and that business was continuing to run smoothly (m&k reported). The processes at Weltbild Switzerland were set up in independent structures parallel to the processes in Germany, according to the statements made at the time. (SDA/swi)

Weltbild Switzerland's processes are set up in independent structures parallel to the processes in Germany. This means that customers can be offered the familiar shopping experience "online and offline". Weltbild Switzerland offers over Weltbild.ch and 24 stores in German-speaking Switzerland sell books, eBooks and decorative, hobby and leisure articles.

On Monday, the WB D2C Group filed for insolvency for its German subsidiary Weltbild GmbH & Co. KG filed for insolvency at the Augsburg district court. The move is intended to initiate a fundamental restructuring of the German business and focus on a more customer-centric online business, according to the statement. (SDA)

Weltbild Switzerland is delighted to have gained an exceptional ambassador with high recognition value for the traditional brand in the form of the Valais native, as detailed in a press release. "Stefanie Heinzmann embodies a hip, modern zeitgeist without denying her roots and down-to-earth attitude," says Rita Graf, Managing Director of Weltbild Switzerland. Graf therefore considers the collaboration and the signal it sends out to be absolutely appropriate. Weltbild Switzerland currently has 33 stores in German-speaking Switzerland. A regular customer base of over 300,000 households regularly makes use of the Weltbild range, which is also available via the online channel Weltbild.ch is distributed. With Stefanie Heinzmann as its figurehead, Weltbild Switzerland aims to appeal to a younger target group. The pop and soul artist will represent the Olten-based media mail order company in comprehensive campaigns. TV, radio and cinema commercials, print advertisements and activities at the point of sale and in online channels are planned.