Weimar loses popular toy shop: shock for families!

Weimar loses popular toy shop: shock for families!

in the heart of Weimar, Thuringia, another traditional business closes its doors. The popular toy shop "Michael’s Toyginal" will disappear from the cityscape by the end of December. The owner, Michael Rott, looks back on 33 years full of commitment and loyal customers before he made the difficult decisions on July 2, 2025, who also present his five employees with an uncertain future

The shop was very popular with many families and kindergartens. In order to use the remaining weeks until the final closure, Rott offers a whopping 40 percent discount on all articles. "We may donate the unsold products to our loyal customers and kindergartens," said Rott about the possibilities of weakening the upcoming closure. The reasons for the ends for the shop are sales declines during corona pandemic and a growing trend towards online trading, which presents many inpatient dealers with great challenges.

a nationwide phenomenon

The closure of "Michael’s Toyginal" is not an isolated case. According to ZDF , around 4,500 other business closures in Germany will be expected for 2023. HDE President Alexander von Preen describes the situation as "dramatic". According to HDE, there were still 370,000 shops in 2015, while the number has now shrunk to around 300,000. This development is primarily favored by the devastating effects of Corona pandemic and the Ukraine War that influence consumption mood.

The inner cities in particular are becoming increasingly exposed by the consequences of the pandemic. 5,000 shops had to close last year, and the perspectives for the current year do not seem more promising. Different factors come together in the closure of business: in addition to the pandemief sequences, rising rents and continuing economic uncertainties increase the pressure on retailers.

The effects of corona pandemic

The Statista The Corona pandemic is one of the greatest economic challenges since World War II. After the first Lockdowns that were decided in March 2020, retail experienced large -scale closings, many of which were difficult to return. Shopping habits are postponed within a few months, and online retailers benefited from the situation, while inpatient trade wrote red numbers.

A loss of about one billion euros per day, which is valued according to HDE, additionally burdened the non-food dealers during the shutdown. The federal government reacted with auxiliary packages to support the industry, but many businesses can be found in a difficult financial situation from which they can hardly escape.

A trend is clearly recognizable: the consumers are increasingly turning to online trading, and even if the first steps have been taken to normality, skepticism remains great among dealers. "Incentives for investments and a redesign of the rental models are urgently necessary to get the retail back on course," said von Preen with a view to the future of trade in Germany.

The closure of "Michael’s Toy Land" may appear as a local event, but reflects a far -reaching trend that affects not only Weimar but all of Germany. A rethink in the industry and the support of the cities could be crucial to restore the attractiveness of the city centers.