Business · Companies · 4 hrs ago
Celle bakery chain to close all 10 shops, affecting 120 workers
Kiess & Krause will close its bakery business on May 31, 2027, ending 55 years of trading.
The family-run company is based in Celle, in the German state of Lower Saxony, and operates 10 shops.
The closure affects every shop, its production site and 120 jobs.
Founded in 1971, the business is run by the family’s third generation.
The owners say it is not closing because it is insolvent; the company is debt-free.
Rising costs and weaker customer spending have made running the business harder, while major spending on new ovens, cooling systems and shop equipment would bring too much financial risk.
The family also cites difficulties finding qualified workers, and says a sale was considered but did not go ahead.
The business plans to serve customers until it closes, and says it will support and inform employees during the final months.
Kiess & Krause will close all 10 of its bakery shops and its production operation on 31 May 2027.
The Celle-based family business employs 120 people, whose jobs will be lost.
The company said rising costs and the financial risk of necessary investment made continuing the business unviable.
The family also cited weaker customer purchasing power and difficulty finding qualified staff.
The company was founded in 1971 and is run by the family’s third generation.
- Who
- Kiess & Krause GmbH, a family-run bakery company in Celle.
- What
- It will close all 10 shops and its production operation, affecting 120 jobs.
- When
- The business will cease operating on 31 May 2027.
- Where
- Celle, Lower Saxony, with nine shops in Celle and one in Nienhagen.
- Why
- The family cited rising costs, investment risks and difficulty securing qualified staff. BILD also reported that no successor could be found.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Kiess & Krause was founded.
The family announced its decision to dissolve the company, according to HNA.
The company is scheduled to stop operating, with all shops and production closing.
- Company
- Kiess & Krause GmbH
- Founded
- 1971
- Shops
- 10: nine in Celle and one in Nienhagen
- Workers affected
- 120
- Closure date
- 31 May 2027
3 sources
What people are saying
The customers are there, but they no longer have the purchasing power.
This decision was incredibly difficult for us.
We are not closing because our craft or our employees are no longer important to us. On the contrary: precisely because we bear responsibility, we have to make an economically responsible decision.