Less than two years after the last bankruptcy proceedings, Gerry Weber International GmbH, the holding company of the clothing provider based in Halle in Westphalia in Westphalia, applied for bankruptcy.
The Bielefeld District Court has already approved the application and ordered a preliminary procedure, said Gerry Weber on Tuesday. In addition, lawyer Lucas Flöther was appointed under the factory.
“Despite the deep incisions that Gerry Weber has already undertaken in recent years, despite the good response of the market to the fashion offer: In order to compensate for such a cumulation of unexpected crisis factors, the company has not yet set enough bacon,” said Christian Gerloff, who was appointed as a renovator in the management. “The persistently weak consumer climate in Germany and other parts of Europe means that we have to adjust the company’s strategy and structures again.”
Possible connection insolvencies from subsidiaries of the group are currently being examined.
GERRY Weber is a problem of changing purchasing policy
The reason for the renewed renovation is the reserved pre -order of specialist trade due to an increased focus on working capital management and the changed shopping policy, which led to a significant decline in the previous orders for the third quarter of 2025, says Gerry Weber. Although the brand under the leadership of product chief Frauke Stein has successfully repositioned itself in the field of modern classic, the company was not spared the changed purchasing policy of the specialist trade.
In addition, there were financial problems from a sales partner in February, which could lead to payment delays or failures. However, the company emphasizes that sales in their own retail have remained constant in the year.
Business operations are continued without restrictions
The aim of the renovation is to ensure the continuation of the company and to adapt the structures to the current market environment. The operational business will continue during the procedure without any restrictions, in particular the delivery of the Wholesale customers: there are remaining inside. The financial investors: Inside the GWI, a continuation solution would support financially, and also essential operational business partners, such as in the areas of logistics and sourcing, would have promised their support.
It is also planned to start a structured investor process promptly in order to ensure sustainable financing of the business. “It is important that the investor process is led tightly in order to make clarity for customers as quickly as possible: inside, employees: interior and business partners: to create inside – also with a view to the upcoming round of order in April/May,” said Gerloff. “Gerry Weber is still one of the well-known German fashion and lifestyle brands, which is attractive for investor: inside with the appropriate industry know-how.”
With Gerloff, Gerry Weber fetches an experienced renovator on board. In recent years he has accompanied fashion companies such as Escada and Adler through bankruptcies. But he is also no stranger to the clothing provider based in Halle in Westphalia: when Chief Restructuring Officer of Gerry Weber Retail GmbH, he accompanied the company through the last bankruptcy.
Third bankruptcy in six years
For the clothing manufacturer, it is already the third bankruptcy within six years. As early as 2019, Gerry Weber International AG submitted an application for bankruptcy proceedings in self -administration to the local court in order to renovate the parent company. At that time, the financial investors Robus Capital Management and Whitebox Advisors agreed to grant the battered company a financial injection of up to 49.2 million euros. In January 2020, the company was finally able to leave this first bankruptcy – albeit at the expense of over a hundred branch closures and the reduction of numerous jobs.
However, the company did not have much time to take a deep breath. As early as April 2023, Gerry Weber International AG had to renovate again and restructure its German retail business. The reasons were in particular the stores of the stores in Germany as well as the changed buying behavior of the customers: inside, which was influenced, among other things, by the Ukraine War and the high inflation. In the course of bankruptcy, the focus was on the company’s wholesale business, which led to the closure of 122 stores.
The restructuring plan also provided for a complete capital cut. This included the reduction in share capital to zero, which caused the previous shareholder: in the inside of Gerry Weber without compensation and expired to the stock exchange.