Erneute Insolvenz: Experte sieht Zukunft für Galeria - mit weniger Standorten

Galeria outlet chain faces uncertain future after latest bankruptcy, according to expert Carsten Kortum. He told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that while complete liquidation is possible, it is not inevitable. Kortum believes the company could continue with significantly fewer locations, focusing on economically viable sites, a clear product range, and sufficient capital for modernization and renovations.

Currently, Galeria operates 83 stores with around 12,000 employees. The Düsseldorf company has filed for bankruptcy four times in the past six years. To survive, the retailer needs a financially motivated owner with long-term commitment to the "Kaufhaus" business model, rather than short-term profit-seeking.

Expert Thomas Roeb from Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg attributes Galeria's ongoing troubles to its lack of competitiveness in the fashion segment, which accounts for more than half of its sales. The insolvency of Galeria, as well as its predecessor firms Kaufhof and Karstadt, can be compared to a rubber ball bouncing off a staircase - it bounces higher each time but lands deeper than before.

Experts Jörg Funder from Hochschule Worms and Carsten Kortum share similar doubts about Galeria's long-term prospects, citing weak corporate leadership, flawed business models, and persistent consumer weakness as primary reasons for the latest bankruptcy. Funder suggests that it's time for the chain to transition from a palliative care station to the grave.