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Depot Announces Closure of 66 Stores Across Germany

The company says an insolvency-driven cull responds to rising import costs, fierce low-cost online competition such as Temu, and weak consumer spending.

Overview

  • Depot published a list this week that identifies 66 branches slated for closure as part of a further phase of its insolvency process.
  • Four of the closures are in Hamburg, including the Mercado Ottensen site, and the centre also expects Jack Wolfskin to leave after the summer.
  • The company says the cuts will affect about 330 staff and Reimer law firm named Thomas Rittmeister as the preliminary insolvency administrator.
  • Responses at shopping centres vary: some Depot outlets have begun clearance sales while others remain open because no formal termination from the insolvency administrator has been issued.
  • Centre managers report active re-leasing talks for the vacated units, and the closures highlight wider pressures on bricks-and-mortar retail that could leave longer-term gaps in local shopping centres.