Weimar Farewell: Toy shop closes after 33 years!

Weimar Farewell: Toy shop closes after 33 years!

In Weimar, it will soon be said to say goodbye to a popular meeting place for toy lovers: The toy shop "Michael’s Toy Fand" closes in the "Atrium" shopping center. The loyal regular customers can still access it by the end of December, because the owner Michael Rott offers a final sale with a whopping 40 percent discount on popular articles such as family games, fidget spinners and homework issues. After 33 years in business, Rott looks back on a successful time, but the challenges with which retail is confronted are huge. Corona pandemic in particular has left its mark and is largely responsible for the decision to close. Runs of sales and an increasing trend towards online trading have added to the shop.

With this closure, not only the customers lose: inside a familiar place of joy, but also five employees their jobs. Michael Rott plans to donate unsuccessful articles to kindergartens in the region - a nice thought to say goodbye. Even if the closure hurts, Rott remains a positive view of the past few years. With the opening of "Michael’s Toy Land" 33 years earlier, none of the parties involved was an idea of ​​how the retail landscape would change since then.

shopping in retail

The closure in Weimar is not an isolated case. The Trade Association of Germany (HDE) expects around 4,500 shops in Germany for 2023. HDE President Alexander von Preen describes the development as "dramatic". In 2015 we still counted 370,000 shops, currently only about 300,000. In the city centers, the vacancy is becoming increasingly visible due to the effects of corona pandemic. Last year, 5,000 shops had already closed their gates and the trend seems to continue. The consumer mood remains steamed in view of the global uncertainties, such as the Ukraine War.

In order to secure retailers, from Preen demands an adaptation of the rental models to sales-based rents and investment incentives that should also apply to digitization and facade renovation. It remains to be seen how retail will develop until the beginning of 2025, where moderate growth is promised. But many traders are skeptical and wonder how they should navigate through this stormy time.

The effects of pandemic

Corona pandemic has been the greatest economic challenge since World War II. Since the first Lockdown in March 2020, many shops have been required by distance and hygiene measures. With every new shutdown, non-food dealers in particular fought for survival, many had to close, and this led to enormous financial losses. The HDE estimated that closures in this sector caused a loss of about one billion euros every day.

The online trade has developed rapidly through the closings. Sales increases of up to 24 % were recorded during pandemic. While traditional shops are fighting for survival, online retailers benefited, but they too were faced with delivery bottlenecks and economic uncertainty. The question remains how the shops, such as "Michael’s toy", can exist in this new reality. It is clear: the future of retail needs creative solutions and new approaches to restore the attractiveness of the inner cities, which were once lively retreats.

After the last Corona protection measures expired in April 2023, somehow we only now feel the full scope of these events. It remains to be hoped that we will make the right decisions together to strengthen retail and bring back the business believed.