Type
Bankruptcy
Country
Germany
Region
Bayern; Schwaben; Augsburg
Location of affected unit(s)
Augsburg
Sector
Retail
Retail Trade, Except Of Motor Vehicles And Motorcycles
Retail Sale Of Cultural And Recreation Goods In Specialised Stores
47.61 - Retail sale of books in specialised stores

582 - 656 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
21 February 2014
Employment effect (start)
21 February 2014
Foreseen end date

Description

Book retail chain Weltbild announced to file for insolvency, planning to make 656 out of its 1,776 workers redundant. This is mainly to affect workers in logistics and administration. The restructuring at Weltbild had already begun in autumn 2013 when the ERM reported on 140 announced job losses.

The company needs new funding and is looking for investors in order to restructure the business and return to profitable margins.

Dismissed workers are offered to move to a transfer agency. According to the company’s spokesman, 582 workers had already transferred on 1 April 2014. There is no information on the remaining workers. Furthermore, affected employees are reported to receive 85% of their former net wage. 


Sources

  • 21 March 2014: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
  • 21 February 2014: Weltbild (Press Release)
  • 2 April 2014: Hamburger Abendblatt

Citation

Eurofound (2014), Weltbild, Bankruptcy in Germany, factsheet number 76782, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/76782.