The German Association of Cities is confident that at least individual locations of the insolvent department store group Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof (GKK) can be retained.
“Insolvency can also be an opportunity for a new start outside of the Signa Group. Good, sustainable concepts for the houses are best found together with the cities,” said the managing director of the Association of Cities, Helmut Dedy, to the newspapers of the Funke media group (Wednesday).
Dedy called for cities to be involved at an early stage, including in discussions with possible investors. “The cities should find out as early as possible what is happening with the department stores in their city centers. Ultimately it’s about using every opportunity to keep the houses.”
The department store chain Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof filed for bankruptcy again at the Essen district court on Tuesday. Galeria, currently part of the Signa Group, is looking for a new owner. Discussions with potential investors have already begun, it said. The aim is to continue Galeria.(dpa)