End in sight for Praktiker

The end of the German DIY chain Praktiker seems to be signed and sealed. The vacant-possession sale of the 130 stores concerned is expected to begin at the end of next week. Certainly the administrator believes there is a chance that a number of these branches will be continued under other brand names by competitors or outsiders investing in the industry. The administrator has received several offers, both from strategic investors and private equity firms, for the Max Bahr retail format, which also belongs to the insolvent Praktiker Group. Here it is a question of 78 original stores and 54 former Praktiker outlets, which had been converted to the Max Bahr concept since September 2012.