Max Bahr rescued – most probably

The Max Bahr DIY stores, which at present are still part of the insolvent German Praktiker group of companies, will be sold to a consortium around Hellweg, a rival group, provided the final negotiations prove successful. Others in the consortium are Dirk Möhrle, a member of the family that previously owned Max Bahr, and Eugen Trautwein, a former boss and still a co-owner of the EDE specialist trade group (a purchasing office of German hardware dealers). However, the consortium will take over just the 78 so-called original stores, not the outlets that have been rebadged from the Praktiker brand to Max Bahrs over the past two years. According to information from the administrator, no acceptable offer has been received for these stores or for the Praktiker stores as a whole. Nevertheless, there are competitors wanting to acquire individual stores or even several locations, though without stock.