Weimar loses a toy dream: Michael's Toy Land closes at the end of December

Weimar loses a toy dream: Michael's Toy Land closes at the end of December

Weimar, Deutschland - in Weimar, Thuringia, there is a popular toy shop in front of that: "Michael’s Toy Land" will close until the end of December. The 33-year-old shop, which is very popular with families and kindergartens, has drawn the emergency brake due to falling sales and increasing competition from online trading. Owner Michael Rott, who always proved a good knack for his customers, will offer a 40 percent discount on all articles in the coming months. He would like to reward his loyal regular customers, which has accompanied him over the years, at least again before the doors are finally closed. Unsigned articles may be donated to local kindergartens, which underlines the special connection to the community. According to thueringen24.de the closure is not only a loss for consumers, but also for the five employees who lose their work.

The challenges that retailers face each other are terrifying. The toy shop in Weimar is not the only one who suffers from the effects of corona pandemic and growing online trade. Another example can be found in Bodenfelde, where Tanja Steinhaus announced the end of her business after twelve years. Her shop also looks back on a long tradition of 32 years, but has to fight the online market increasingly. "The economic situation has deteriorated; hardly anything left after deducting all costs," explains Steinhaus. The competition becomes concrete: A mother came into the business to show a Lego game station that she had already ordered online, entirely on the frustration of Steinhaus and her employee Bärbel Vogt, who normally rely on personal advice.

The shadows of the pandemic

The effects of corona pandemic have hit the retail trade hard and represent the greatest economic challenge since the Second World War. Business has been closed during various lockdowns, and the constant adaptation to new regulations brought many once flourishing shops to the edge of the ruin. According to statista.com, the trade association Germany estimated losses of around one billion euros in non-food retailers daily, while the online trade experienced an increase in sales of 24 percent in the same period.

The photos of empty inner cities during this time are not to be forgotten, and although the last Corona protection measures expired in April 2023, return to old consumer trends is anything but secured. "It is almost as if the business was just a hobby," Steinhaus sums up the precarious location in which she can often not even reach the minimum wage at the end of the month.

The way to the future

What's going on for those affected? Steinhaus will accept vouchers in the next few months and maybe even set up a toy corner in a neighboring shop, as Elke Auer has already signaled from the “Bookworm” shop. Nevertheless, the uncertainty that hovers in the air remains omnipresent. The closure of "Michael’s toy country" and the shop in Bodenfelde are sad examples of how the retail trade has to adapt in times of change. The question remains: Where are we in one, two or three years? Will local shops be able to exist in their communities if the online trade continues to boom?