Migros subsidiaries on the brink of liquidation "Of course I'm nostalgic. I did my apprenticeship here"

Melectronics is disappearing, and Migros also wants to gradually get rid of its other subsidiaries. How are the employees faring? And do you notice the cutbacks on site? blue News took a look around.

Migros is getting rid of its subsidiaries. Step by step, Do it + Garden, SportX, Micasa and other subsidiaries are to be sold off in the coming months.

The first step was taken this week with Melectronics. The consumer electronics chain is being sold to Mediamarkt and 17 stores are being closed. Around 100 employees will lose their jobs and will continue to be employed elsewhere in the Migros Group.

blue News visits stores that will close for good in the coming weeks and those that will be transferred to Mediamarkt. At the Grüzepark shopping center in Winterthur, it is already clear that the store will close its doors for good in November at the latest. There is not much going on. A single sales assistant stands between the shelves - which are already conspicuously empty.

Sales assistant: "Probably not any more"

An elderly lady enquires about printer cartridges. The hangers are empty, there are no signs. The young sales assistant smiles in a friendly manner and says that they can be ordered on request. The lady asks when the stock will be replenished. The sales assistant smiles a little more tensely. "Probably not at all," he says.

He does not yet know whether he will get a new job, he says in an interview with blue News. Like everyone else he spoke to, he doesn't want his name in the media - he doesn't want to upset Migros. "I like my job, I love technology." Could he imagine working in the food sector in the future? "Not really, no. That's not my thing. But if there's no other solution ..." The young man does not believe that the site will remain open until November. "You can see what it looks like here already."

The employees in the SportX store right next door don't know what will happen to them either. The sales process for the sporting goods chain is still ongoing, Migros announced at the beginning of the week. There are posters on the walls that say: "We are still here for you." The sales assistants smile and offer their advice.

One sales assistant admits: "Sometimes it's difficult when you don't know whether you can keep your job. But we make the best of it - there's nothing else we can do." Quitting is out of the question for her. "I want to stay in the sporting goods industry. It would be my absolute dream for us to be bought by the competition. And, of course, that I keep my job." She has children at home. "They have to eat, too."

"Look at my bank account"

It has been clear since this week: the employees of 20 Melectronics stores will keep their jobs. They are switching to Mediamarkt. For example, two sales assistants who work at the Amriville sales center in Amriswil TG. They are still wearing the blue Melectronics shirt, which will be replaced by the competitor's red shirt by November.

"Of course I'm kind of nostalgic, I did my apprenticeship here. But of course, I'm mainly happy that I'm keeping my job," says one of the sales assistants. Her colleague laughs and adds: "Hey, to be honest, in the end I don't really care whether I wear blue or red - in the end I have to look at my bank account." When blue News asks her whether the sale of the subsidiaries means that Gottlieb Duttweiler's legacy is definitely settled, the young woman laughs. "Oh, you know, to be honest: there was no Melectronics in Duttweiler's day. Today, business figures are important. And the people at the top have to make sure that it's somehow right."

However, there is still no sign of the new owner. Not even in Mels SG, where Mediamarkt is taking over the location in Pizolpark. "Unfortunately, I can't tell you exactly when Mediamarkt will be taking over here," says a sales assistant to a curious young man. "We'll only be informed of the details in the coming weeks."

He was not surprised by the purchase, he tells blue News. "We talk to each other. And we've already heard rumors." Is he happy to keep his job? "Sure, of course. But I have friends who work in stores that are being closed. Of course you worry about that."

In addition to SportX, the future of Do It + Garden, Micasa and other subsidiaries is still unclear. While Do It + Garden is courting customers on the Internet, there is no sign of any imminent changes at Micasa. The different communication strategies of the subsidiaries have already come to light.

The employees are also dealing with the situation in different ways. Unlike at Melectronics, nobody at Micasa wants to talk to blue News at two different locations. "We don't know anything ourselves," says a sales assistant before disappearing into a break room.

An elderly customer overhears our brief conversation. She emerges from between the cushions and says: "It's sad. I don't care what brand it says. But what Migros is doing to their company is really sad."

Business is booming at OBI

The DIY chain OBI, for which Migros is a franchisee in Switzerland, is also facing an uncertain future in this country. The ten locations in Switzerland will remain in operation for the time being. However, "possible future options for the strategic direction and operation" are currently being worked out, according to Migros.

When blue News visits the branch in St. Gallen, there is a lot going on. People are pushing trolleys of flowers, boards and pots of paint around. "When I see it like this, I don't worry much about my future," says a sales assistant with a grin. "Our business is going well." He can't imagine Migros simply giving up this branch. "We'll just carry on working as normal."

A sprightly senior rushes up and interrupts the conversation. He wants to have a wooden panel cut immediately, "and it has to be very precise." The salesman laughs, apologizes and says as he walks away. "You see, business is booming. OBI is here to stay, I'm sure of it."

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