Kika/Leiner now closed

Last hours between a tempting offer and emptiness

Of course, some of the sales areas were cleared out on the last day.(Bild: Andreas Moser)

Local inspection at the Kika/Leiner furniture chain in Rum, where the lights went out for good at 6.30 pm on Wednesday. Even the bargain hunters were hardly happy, let alone the employees.

Minus 90 percent, total sale - these signs greeted customers on the very last day in the history of Kika/Leiner. Nevertheless, there is no joyful bargain-hunting mood. The stares of many employees are just as empty as most of the shelves. And after a huge rush at the weekend, customer footfall is rather subdued. No wonder, there's not much left to buy.

The total sale attracted a few more customers, but the range was manageable.(Bild: Andreas Moser)

50 euros for a mattress is too expensive for the customer
Mr. K. has his eye on the mattresses and wants to negotiate with the sales assistant despite the price of 50 (!) euros. The employee frowns, but like everyone else, he remains friendly during the final countdown and simply says: "Then you'll just have to go somewhere else." Another customer hits the 50 euro mattress: "As a base for my dog, normal foam would be much more expensive."

I buy the 50 euro mattress as a base for my dog, normal foam would be much more expensive.

Ein Kunde am letzten Tag

Customer S. doesn't really know exactly what she wants and, like others, strolls through the empty hall somewhat indecisively. "The main thing is 90 percent off," admits the elderly lady. And then she sets her sights on the wooden shelves for her cellar. Or would new wallpaper (5 instead of 10 euros per roll) make more sense?

Job hunting difficult for many of the employees
Large parts of the once glamorous furniture store have already been cordoned off and the brooms for the final sweep are on the corner. It's the end of the line for the 60 or so employees. Just like their approximately 1,300 colleagues throughout Austria; as is well known, a total of 17 branches are closing. For Leiner, this marks the end of a proud company history spanning 115 years.

The impressive appearance is deceptive, Kika/Leiner is now history.(Bild: Johanna Birbaumer)

Back to Rum: finding a job is not easy for many of those affected - "they are specialists in their field, which is all about living, so you can't just start at the Müller drugstore," muses one employee.

An end after 20 years for a sales assistant
"Is there any melancholy involved?" asks one of the sales assistants. Officially, she is not allowed to speak, but the woman mumbles: "It's my 20th year here." Then she waves it off and turns away to hide the tears in her eyes.

Two aisles further on, an obviously sympathetic regular customer asks one of the sales clerks how things are going. "To be honest," the middle-aged woman snorts, "I'm going to stay at home for a while to digest all this . . ."