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Arko branch in Hamburg
Photo: Axel Heimken / dpa
It is the second bankruptcy in just over three years: The companies Arko, Hussel and Eilles, which belong to Deutsche Confiserie Holding (DCH), have filed for bankruptcy. Among other things, they sell confectionery such as chocolates and cookies, coffee and tea in their own branches. The applications to the Norderstedt district court were published on Friday in the official insolvency portal “Insolvency Notices”. The Hamburg lawyer Dietmar Penzlin has been appointed as the provisional insolvency administrator. According to a report by “Wirtschaftswoche”, the three companies have around 1,200 employees.
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Hussel logo in Stralsund
Photo: Stefan Sauer/dpa
There had already been insolvency proceedings during the Corona crisis. In 2021, Arko, Hussel and Eilles filed for bankruptcy on their own as a result of the corona crisis and were ultimately able to save themselves. According to the magazine report, sales have collapsed again in the past few months and the Christmas business has also been unsatisfactory.
The northern German Arko GmbH as a coffee retailer, Hussel GmbH as a confectionery and confectionery specialist and Eilles GmbH & CO. KG, as a tea seller, has around 300 branches across Germany. The companies have their headquarters in Wahlstedt, Schleswig-Holstein. The employees' wages and salaries are now secured for three months through the insolvency benefit. According to “Wirtschaftswoche”, the tea brand Eilles, which belongs to the coffee company Darboven, is not affected by the bankruptcy, but only the retail stores licensed under the brand.
fdi/dpa