The costume retailer Deiters, who was hit by the consequences of the Corona virus, sees itself back on track. Demand has increased significantly and sales are at the pre-crisis level, says company owner Herbert Geiss of the German Press Agency. “It was a long dry spell, which luckily we got over.” He expects his company to generate as much revenue in the fiscal year ending at the end of March as it did in the 2019/20 fiscal year, which had not yet had any consequences from the coronavirus. Deiters currently has around 400 full-time employees, 120 of whom have been hired in the past six weeks. “It’s going up again,” says Geiss.
In the first Corona financial year 2020/21, Geiss reported a 90 percent drop in sales – at that time carnival celebrations were canceled. Private themed parties were banned due to contact restrictions. “People had no reason to dress up,” recalls the 40-year-old. That has changed completely.
Geiss is convinced that his business model emerged unscathed from the Corona crisis. “People want to meet in costume and celebrate with each other – whether at the Oktoberfest, at private parties, at festivals, at Halloween or carnival.” He is very relieved that his company’s situation has improved. “I can now sleep better at night.”
The company owner is reluctant to give business figures. In the 2021/22 financial year (until the end of March), sales were 60 percent lower than in the pre-Corona 2019/20 financial year. He does not give an absolute number.
According to the Federal Gazette, Deiters made a profit of 1.3 million euros in 2019/20. In 2020/21 it was a loss of 3.7 million euros. Geiss does not want to comment on the loss in 2021/22. He only has to publish this value in the Federal Gazette next year. Deiters has around 30 shops, most of which are in the Rhineland, for example in the carnival strongholds of Cologne and Düsseldorf. New openings were recently added in Hamburg and in Weiterstadt near Darmstadt. One in Oberhausen is imminent.
The company from Frechen is the market leader in the small costume industry. A competitor with branches is Karnevalswierts from Heerlen near Aachen. Pure online retailers are also involved. (dpa)