Berlin shoe retailer wants to restructure itself under self-management
On July 23, Aktiv-Schuh Handelsgesellschaft mbH, based in Berlin, applied to the Berlin-Charlottenburg district court to open insolvency proceedings under self-administration due to impending insolvency. The court granted the request and appointed lawyer Prof. Dr. Torsten Martini from the Leonhardt-Rattunde law firm in Berlin was appointed as provisional administrator.
The aim now is to realign the company as part of the process and to position it in a stable and competitive manner in the long term, said the shoe chain. Business operations should continue due to the unrestricted supply.
“The lockdown and the resulting restrictions caused us enormous losses in sales, which we have not been able to make up for since the restart. The requirements associated with the reopening, such as the mask requirement and space restrictions, as well as the cancellation of all major events and, in particular, the absence of international tourism, which is essential for Berlin, have led to significant declines in sales, especially in city center locations and shopping centers,” it said in a statement
“Due to the Corona crisis, we still have to drive on sight. We will only be able to fully ramp up our business operations once the official restrictions have been completely lifted, tourists are visiting Berlin again and customers are showing interest in buying again. There is still a lot of reluctance to buy,” says managing partner Marc Leinweber
The management remains in office during the procedure and is still authorized to act and issue instructions. The employees at the locations have now been informed about the current situation and the next steps. All wages and salaries are secured through insolvency money. The management is advised by the law firm Heublein I Müller and the company EMChoch2. “We will of course examine all options in order to optimally position Aktiv-Schuh Handelsgesellschaft mbH. Together with the management, we will quickly initiate the necessary measures,” says lawyer Dr. Gerrit Heublein. The specialists from EMChoch2 were commissioned to ensure efficient project coordination and effective communication.
The management is confident that the difficult phase can be overcome. Customers, suppliers and banks have signaled that they will support the chosen path.
After a promising start to 2020, Aktiv-Schuh Handelsgesellschaft mbH fell into crisis through no fault of its own due to the corona pandemic. Due to the closure order for all branches due to the corona pandemic and the restrictions associated with the reopening, company sales in the months March to July fell significantly compared to the previous year. The online business was not able to begin to compensate for the failures in stationary retail. The resulting necessary adjustment of the cost structure could not be agreed to a sufficient extent in such a short period of time and despite intensive discussions with the business partners. These measures are absolutely necessary to ensure the company's ability to act. A significant improvement in the sales situation due to a revival of tourism and the taking of major events is not foreseeable for the time being, which is why there was no alternative to the application for self-administration.
About the active shoe group
Aktiv-Schuh Handelsgesellschaft mbH with its sister companiesAktiv-Schuh Handelsgesellschaft mbH, Carvalho Schuh GmbH and Alfi Schuhhandels GmbH looks back on a company history spanning over 120 years. Today it is run by the third and fourth generations. Aktiv-Schuh Handelsgesellschaft mbH has branches in several federal states. The group operates around 70 branches primarily under the names Aktiv Schuh, Shoe City, Hammer Schuh as well as mono-label stores of various shoe brands.
