The Thuringian candy manufacturer Viba Sweets acquires the candy retail chains Hussel, Arko and Eilles. Including franchisees, about 160 of the three brands' 200 stores will be retained, the company announced Friday. 600 jobs would be filled.
North German Arko GmbH as a coffee retailer, Hussel GmbH as a confectionery and confectionery specialist and Eilles GmbH & CO. KG, as a tea seller, belongs to the holding company Deutsche Confiserie and declared bankruptcy at the beginning of February. According to a report from the newspaper Wirtschaftswoche at the time, around 1,200 employees were recently employed at the three companies based in Wahlstedt, Schleswig-Holstein.
During the pandemic, Arko, Hussel and Eilles declared bankruptcy
Arko, Hussel and Eilles already declared bankruptcy on their own in 2021 due to the coronavirus crisis and were finally able to save themselves.
“If we succeed in making shopping in our branches an experience for customers, we are sure that our specialty stores will remain firmly on the market and will continue to be a valuable component of attractive urban centers,” explained Karl Heinz, shareholder of Viba sweets. GmbH. Einhäuser and Holger Storch, in a statement.
Integration occurs in economically turbulent times
The acquisition is scheduled for May 1 of this year. According to its own statements, Viba Sweets will grow from the current 450 employees to more than 1,000. The integration comes during economically turbulent times, especially with regard to rising costs of important raw materials such as cocoa.
“We are aware that the journey together will be challenging,” said the Floh-Seligenthal, Thuringia-based company. It is best known for its nougat products under the brands Viba and Heilemann.
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