The organic retailer now relies on permanently lower prices instead of special offers and promotional prices.
(Photo: Alnatura/Lars Gruber)
Dusseldorf The new store in Cologne was to be the figurehead of the Superbiomarkt chain. The company invested around 1.4 million euros in the conversion of the branch at Zülpicher Platz, which it had taken over from its competitor Basic. Together with the textile retailer Ettics, a kind of organic department store of the future was to be built in a prime location.
A good six months later, the dream has burst. On March 1st, Superbiomarkt will be giving up its location again. “It was very difficult for us to close the shop in Cologne again,” says owner Michael Radau of the Handelsblatt. But it didn’t turn out as hoped. Every business must have the prospect of being Ebitda-positive, i.e. making an operating profit. “We didn’t see that there.”
The demise of the flagship store is symptomatic of the industry. More and more people are buying organic products from discounters. Both Superbiomarkt and Basic are in insolvency proceedings. Are organic shops over?
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