Nauener Bakery closes: supermarket prices fall flat on their own!

Nauener Bakery closes: supermarket prices fall flat on their own!

In Nauen, the challenges of the bakery industry have once again opened a sad chapter: The Kluczyk bakery at Nauener Dammstrasse 12 closed its doors on July 23, 2025. Marcin Kluczyk and his son Mateusz, who have run the bakery since it opened in August 2024, decided to take this step after noticing that customers clearly preferred to go to supermarkets to buy cheaper bread rolls. Despite a very good location near the Nauen train station, they were unable to generate sufficient income with their offer. A multi-grain roll for 50 cents simply can't compete with prices like 33 cents at Netto or 39 cents at Rewe, which caused numerous customers to ignore the local offer, reports said [maz-online.de].

The Kluczyk bakery was supposed to score points with Polish flour as a unique selling point, but the hoped-for popularity did not materialize. Competition from larger chains and other local bakeries, such as Steinecke and Thonke, also caused problems for the father-son team. After the closure, both gave up their independence and now work as employees. Marcin Kluczyk now works in an organic bakery in Potsdam, while his son has found a new challenge in candy production at Karl's strawberry farm in Elstal.

Industry suffers from structural problems

The closure of the Kluczyk Bakery is not an isolated case. According to current analyses, the baked goods industry in Germany is under enormous pressure: uncomfortable working hours, an acute shortage of skilled workers and high energy costs make it difficult for bakeries to remain profitable. In the last ten years, the number of bakeries has fallen by 30 percent, a serious blow to the already tense situation. In Berlin, the number of companies fell by 15 percent and in Brandenburg from 388 to 254, as rbb24.de reports.

Another worrying aspect is the high number of job losses: 20,000 jobs have already been lost in the bakery trade since 2014. The NGG union sees rays of hope for the industry if companies are prepared to improve their working conditions and polish up their employer image. A shift from night to day work could ease the situation for many employees and reduce pressure.

Fighting against the shortage of skilled workers

The challenges on the labor market are huge. Around 86 percent of employees report high levels of stress and time pressure, and a serious staff shortage is noticeable. To combat this, companies are increasingly relying on immigration. A quarter of trainees in the bakery trade now have a migrant background, which represents an opportunity to overcome the shortage of skilled workers, as the results of a comprehensive industry analysis show, supported by the Hans Böckler Foundation and the NGG. [boeckler.de].

One example is Matthias Hillmann's café near Berlin, who had to close his original bakery due to a lack of skilled workers, but has now successfully found a new niche in which he bakes under better conditions. Such developments could be groundbreaking for many local businesses, such as the Kluczyk Bakery, to avoid disappearing from the market.