Görtz collapses: Historic German shoe chain shuts down stores
The German shoe retailer Görtz has declared bankruptcy and has been unable to find an investor. As a result, the company is closing its stores, including its flagship location with vast floor space in Hamburg. This is yet another German company experiencing significant difficulties.
Dr. Gideon Böhm, the interim insolvency administrator, confirmed that no investor was secured for the Hamburg store. The store on Spitalerstraße, occupying more than 5,000 square metres, will be handed back to the owner at the end of April.
The website dlahandlu.pl reports that the final sale at Görtz's largest store has already concluded and employees will be given termination notices. Sixty-five people are to be made redundant.
On the market for 150 years. The German shoe chain is going under
Previously, Görtz closed its outlet in the Alstertal shopping centre, and the store in Darmstadt will cease operations by mid-April. The process of finding investors for other locations is still ongoing, although the number of stores at risk has not been disclosed.
Görtz, founded in 1875, is one of the oldest shoe chains in Germany. The company, which once operated several hundred stores in Germany and Austria, has been grappling with financial difficulties for years. In January 2025, another bankruptcy was declared, despite earlier support from investor Bolko Kissling.
The company, specialising in the sale of high-quality footwear, offered products both from its own brands and well-known international brands. Despite its rich history, the company could not withstand current market challenges such as decreasing consumer spending and the growing popularity of e-commerce.
Wave of bankruptcies in Germany
Görtz is not the only German company forced to restructure its operations. At the end of March 2025, the District Court in Bielefeld declared the bankruptcy of three subsidiaries of Gerry Weber, a German clothing brand.
The decision affects Gerry Weber DE GmbH (responsible for retail operations in Germany), E-Gerry Weber Digital GmbH (operator of the online store), and Life-Style Fashion GmbH (supplying wholesale customers). This fashion group, founded in 1973, also has showrooms in Poland.
Smaller German companies are also facing difficulties. The family-owned construction company Frank Berninger GmbH from Lower Franconia is also on the brink of bankruptcy. The company has filed for bankruptcy, but no investor has been found, so closure is a possibility. The lawyer representing the company indicated that "the debts are too high" for the company to continue operations in its current form.
