After 143 years Traditional company Franz Carl Weber slowly disappears for good

Franz Carl Weber, the traditional toy brand, is closing its branch on Zurich's Bahnhofplatz. The conversion into a Müller drugstore marks the end of a chapter in Swiss retail history.

The traditional Swiss toy brand Franz Carl Weber (FCW) is facing its final demise. Following the takeover by the German drugstore chain Müller last year, the conversion of FCW stores into Müller locations is progressing rapidly. The flagship store on Zurich's Bahnhofplatz will soon be history, as the "Aargauer Zeitung" writes.

The end of the Zurich branch became known through a planning application that envisages a conversion into a Müller branch. This marks the end of a 143-year history that began in 1881 with the opening of the first store on Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse by Franz Carl Weber. What once grew into a nationwide network of over 50 stores has now shrunk to 13 locations - and even these are not safe from conversion.

The new concept in the Zurich store provides for a wide range of products: In addition to drugstore and perfumery products, household goods, hosiery, stationery, pet supplies and more are to be offered there. Toys, once the heart of FCW, will become a side note in future.

Müller has not answered questions about the strategy or the remaining FCW stores. Shortly after the takeover, the FCW online store was shut down and posters were put up in the stores to draw attention to the upcoming changes. Former owner Marcel Dobler emphasized at the time that the FCW brand should remain, but this is no longer the case.

Expansion instead of nostalgia

Müller is pursuing an aggressive expansion strategy in Switzerland. With 91 stores now - compared to 69 at the end of 2022 - the German retail giant is taking advantage of the city center locations that FCW has been able to secure for decades. Industry experts suspected early on that Müller was less interested in the Franz Carl Weber brand than in its coveted locations.

The takeover by Müller is part of FCW's eventful history: After being founded in 1881, the company remained in family ownership until 1984, when it was sold to Denner. Subsequent owners such as the French Ludendo Group (bankrupt in 2016) and the German Simba-Dickie Group tried to revive the traditional store - without success.

While Müller dominates the Swiss market, other German retailers are following suit. Rossmann, the second-largest drugstore chain in Germany, opened its first store in the Emmen-Center in Lucerne in December and is planning over 150 more locations. Unlike Müller or Rossmann, industry leader DM is staying on the sidelines for the time being - but is concentrating on cooperations such as supplying Manor department stores with its own brands.

The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.