Müller branch to follow Toy retailer Franz Carl Weber closes for good in Zurich

The Franz Carl Weber on Bahnhofplatz must now close. There will be one last day of sales on June 11. After that, a Müller store will move into the store.

Colorful posters are lined up in front of the shop windows announcing the end of an era: "We're converting!" reads one. Below it is the Müller drugstore logo. On another: "We're closing, 30 percent off everything". In the top right corner it says: "Last day of sale 11.06."

So the time has come: Franz Carl Weber on Bahnhofplatz in Zurich is closing its doors for good. Next Wednesday, customers will have one last opportunity to buy toys. A Müller store will then move into the store.

A lot has changed at Franz Carl Weber in recent years. The well-known toy chain, which used to be one of the most popular addresses for families and children in Switzerland, has increasingly felt the impact of changes in the retail sector and the changing shopping habits of customers. Pressure from online retailers and large retail groups has increased, and competition from abroad has also made itself felt.

126 years on Bahnhofstrasse

In 1881, the German emigrant Franz Philipp Karl Friedrich Weber opened his first store on Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse. It remained at Bahnhofstrasse 62 for 126 years, and in its heyday there were over 50 branches throughout Switzerland.

The company remained in the family until 1984. It was then sold to Denner and finally to the French group Ludendo in 2006. At the end of 2016, Franz Carl Weber moved from Bahnhofstrasse to Bahnhofplatz in Zurich due to high rents.

After 143 yearsTraditional company Franz Carl Weber slowly disappears for good

Following the insolvency of the then owner Ludendo in 2018, CEO Yves Burger, Marcel Dobler and the Simba-Dickie Group took over the company in equal shares. In 2019, Burger sold his shares so that Dobler and Simba-Dickie-Group each held half of the shares.

Sold to Müller in summer 2023

Despite the launch of an online store and good business figures during the coronavirus pandemic, the company remained too small for a long-term future. As no partnership for a purchasing company was found, Franz Carl Weber was sold to Müller Handels AG Switzerland on July 1, 2023.

Franz Carl Weber was taken over by the Müller drugstore chain in summer 2023. Many former Franz Carl Weber stores were converted into Müller locations or closed completely. The range of toys was gradually reduced or integrated into existing Müller stores. As a result, the number of independent Franz Carl Weber stores continued to shrink - until in the end only a few locations remained.

This was also the case with the store on Bahnhofplatz. In the end, a Müller store was also integrated here.