In Proposed department store – Karstadt plans low wages – Süddeutsche.de

In Proposed department store – Karstadt plans low wages – Süddeutsche.de

• The ailing department store Karstadt is to propose a detailed concept for the future. It shows especially where the future will be eliminated jobs.
• More than 1200 employees wants to save the company, the personnel costs should be pushed to 64 million euros.
• In each house there is future be three groups of employees. Who future unpack goods, could soon earn € 300 less a month.

Analysis of Kirsten Bialdiga, Christoph Giesen, Max Hägler and Stefan Mayr

A little bit of nostalgia, they still afford at Karstadt : As the only branch throughout the country, personnel costs calculated in Wismar may be up to 17, 3 percent of the branch sales. In this town on the Baltic Sea Rudolph Karstadt opened his first store in 1881. Future cost of other houses is considered a hard-hitting ceiling of 14.5 percent.

For half a year of struggling department store group is part of the empire of the Austrian real estate entrepreneur René Benko. Founded by him Signa Holding took over the business in August 2014 by the unimaginative previous owner Nicolas Berggruen. Benkos company then paid a euro, and got a failing. As a new man at the top Karstadt Stephan Fanderl was used; he quickly announced to eliminate about 2,000 jobs and close six stores, Karstadt thus becomes profitable. How exactly will happen long remained open.

But now there is a fairly detailed future concept. The 32-page paper that has already been discussed in the Supervisory Board, granted first insight into how Karstadt future should look like and especially where jobs disappear.

personnel costs should be pushed to 64 million euros

Alone in the 83 branches are only 8170 full-time employees work in the coming year, according to the marked “strictly confidential” document. That would be 1271 employees less than are currently employed. By reducing personnel costs should be pushed to 64 million euros to 308 million euros. These figures previously announced store closures are not considered. Here are earlier reportedly estimated that a further 300 jobs disappear

Especially hard hit are the department head in the sale. Almost every second must leave the company, as it rumbles in management. In the stores a complete Executives should be deleted to allow for a “greater and broader involvement of the branches”

In the future, it is according to the concept be careful so-called head offices. Bremen, Brunswick, Berlin Castle Street, Frankfurt , Cologne, Dortmund, Nuremberg and Karlsruhe. Their branch manager should be responsible for other so-called attachments branches

It is a consequence of the diversity of the 83 houses. 37 branches account for only ten to 20 million euros per year, five branches 56-70 million euros two branches even more than 80 million euros a year. Three stores recognizes the concept of a special one: the branch near the main station of the house in the Mönckebergstraße in Hamburg and Karstadt in Dresden. This “direct branches” are intended to serve as a “pacemaker” and test innovations

In each house there will soon be three groups of Karstadt employees. Retailers, tellers and those who move into newly created goods service team to. These employees should unpack especially the goods and give the shelves. This opens up the possibility of Karstadt to pay these workers in the future only by the significantly lower tariffs for the logistics industry.

Up to 1,100 people could be affected by this degradation, denounced the union Verdi. On average, the mean loss of pay for the employee in the amount of 300 euros. A Karstadt spokesman declined to comment on request to all of this.

Also elsewhere see the chefs savings

From circles of the owner is, however, to know that it is by no means a “degradation” of employees RELATES. Compared to direct competition, ie primarily to Kaufhof, Karstadt productivity lie back about 25 to 30 percent. An adjustment is inevitable. In return, but the stores were also given more freedom in the design and could better respond to customer needs.

The question is whether it still enough staff. As the “basic occupation” only one employee per floor is considered sufficient for the entire store opening times: Where then is the added value for the customer to the Online Ordering, had not yet been discussed extensively. The customer service is to be made stronger in the future depending on range: For stationery will apply mainly self-service; instead of sellers to help better signage. In stockings managers see average need for advice, watches and jewelry, however, are particularly intensive consultation, they say.

Also see elsewhere Karstadt leaders still savings. So it will probably be simpler shop window, but in any case “reduced standards for shop window”. In addition, there will be less cash, but at the same time to the effort when cashing less and better targeted staffing snakes are avoided. The goods are to be delivered in the future so that they can enter into the sale without further notice: “secured, ironed, with standard bracket”, says the document. Finally, the managers have made in the future to hold fewer meetings and conference calls.

Whether more stores are closed, is not apparent from the internal paper. Only this: In Dortmund, Bremen and the service center for ERP 2015 will be closed in Saarbrücken a year later. The Service Center in Stuttgart will be moved to Leonberg. At the root Wismar, the smallest, but perhaps the most beautiful store where it all began, but will probably not be shaken. The address of the Art Nouveau building shall: Rudolph Karstadt-Platz 1

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