2023-07-05 12:27:46
– «The sale was not my ideal solution»
Marcel Dobler was co-owner of the iconic toy store. Now he has sold it to the drugstore chain Müller. That is best for the business in the long run.
Published today at 2:27 p.m
Marcel Dobler was co-owner of Franz Carl Weber for five years. Now he has sold it.
Photo: Samuel Schalch
There is hardly anyone in Switzerland who does not have a childhood memory of Franz Carl Weber. Be it the unreachable giant teddy bear in the shop window or the slide in the former main store on Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse, the shop has been an institution for over 140 years. Now he is in German hands.
The drugstore chain Müller has bought the entire company, as the “Handelzeitung” reported on Wednesday morning. The “Franzki” has only had Swiss owners once more for five years.
In 2018, the then CEO Yves Burger and Digitec founder and FDP national councilor Marcel Dobler bought Franz Carl Weber from the French toy company Ludendo. This had gone bankrupt.
Mr. Dobler, you always said that Franz Carl Weber was an affair of the heart. Why did you sell it now?
Marcel Dobler: Because that’s best for him and the employees in the long term. Franz Carl Weber must be able to buy in larger quantities, this is the only way he can get better conditions. These are necessary so that he can afford future investments. Selling wasn’t what I wanted.
What would that have been?
I would have preferred to have just joined forces in one purchasing company. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. However, we have now found a good buyer in the German drugstore chain Müller. Müller makes annual global sales of four billion euros and has 35,000 employees. Franz Carl Weber can benefit from these dimensions. The shops already have a wide range of toys.
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They took over the toy store in 2018 with the aim of renovating it. Did you succeed?
My partners and I bought the Franz Carl Weber back then from the debt restructuring moratorium of the French group Ludendo. Today the company is in the black and very efficient. We got the best out of it – despite two years of Corona. I think that all employees who made this possible should be proud of themselves.
For many Swiss people, the «Franzki» is an important childhood memory. What will she expect in the future?
For me, too, «Franzki» is a very emotional affair. Nothing will change for our customers in the medium term. Where and how Müller will invest will become clear in the coming months.
Are there already concrete plans for the 23 Swiss branches?
There are no plans to change the branch network. We are now beginning discussions in the Board of Directors, of which I will continue to be a part.
Are the 200 employees threatened with job cuts?
No, at the moment everything stays the same.
Do local shops even have a future given the strong competition from online trading?
I am convinced of that. I wish that one day I can shop with my grandchildren at Franz Carl Weber.
How are things going for you now?
Until October I will concentrate on the election campaign and my other mandates. After that, I look forward to new challenges.
More regarding Marcel DoblerJan Bolliger is a trainee at the «Tages-Anzeiger». He studied philosophy and economics in Zurich. More info
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