Despite the Christmas rush the passers-by remain in front of the store, corner of Rennweg/Fortuna alley. In the shop window some of the lenses that burns the store lighting, but the door is covered from the inside and from the outside, seals are lost. “What, the photo is it not?” an elderly woman to her companion says. Two men read the Letter that sticks to the wheel. Sender: Bankruptcy Office. One of them says: “Hät en meini glupft.”
photo the most well-known photo shop in Zurich. Who was looking for a expert advice, a second-hand lens or a passport photo for a visa or a Consulate needed, made a pilgrimage to companies for decades in the former family. Until three weeks ago. At that time, it became known that the composite Fotopro Group had to file for bankruptcy. 85 employees lost their jobs. Are affected in Zurich next to the photo-Quite-branch at Rennweg also those at Stauffacher and the shop bears to the lions road. In addition, eight more branches in German-speaking Switzerland, one in Winterthur and one in Baden.
The first business house
The Foundation stone for the traditional company put the Whole of John in 1844. He produced and sold under the family name of paper were on the Limmatquai. At that time, the demand for paper frame for the first photographs of gross, which brought the Whole of yourself to the daguerreotype-photography. He learned the craft at a French wall of photographers. The business flourished.
in 1868, built the Whole of the first commercial building on the Bahnhofstrasse 40, what many thought was foolhardy. The connecting road between the station and the parade ground had just been handed over to the transport and ungepflästert. Soon, however, the upturn in the Bahnhofstrasse began as a shopping street, and was regarded as a pioneer. The house of John is still, on the ground floor the watch is the renting company, Chopard.
business had success. The bourgeoisie was in his daylight Studio portraits. In 1883, was responsible for the photo Department of the national exhibition.
in addition, developed John novel light image projectors for universities, schools, and churches. Be a kerosene torch was brighter than previous projectors. Pinakoskope, as he called them, are to be found today in technical and scientific collections around the world. Johannes’ sons and grandsons developed the projection system, in the 1960s, the commercial branch is a professional provider of Multimedia and cinema facilities.
Three company
Thomas, a business owner in the fourth Generation, split the company in 1982 in three parts: photo, audio-visual and is a distributor of professional projection equipment. His children Michael and Catherine were later on the Board of Directors of the photo, sold but at the beginning of 2000 its shares to Dieter Erhardt. This is the President of the Board of Fotopro.
at the Time of the rise of online Commerce began, and the technological developments changed the world of photography. The big retailers have expanded their electrical departments and have offered the product cheaper. Vehicles were no longer in demand like they used to, because many in Zurich were enough payment to make a purchase. Catherine suggested the Whole, therefore, the photo AG, a realignment with a clear business strategy. She says: “We knew that the photo could survive the business in the longer term.” Because they found no ear, she jumped.
Dieter Erhardt in his eleven Professional stores to proven. From Zug, Hünenberg, he supplied the shops; there, he centralised the Administration. He had all the brands on offer and bought as previously owned. The shops at the lion’s road, and in Winterthur, he built. He trained apprentices, in the last 20. Industry experts have puzzled over for a long time, as the group could still survive.
The cooking photo AG is one of the last independent photo shops in the city. Phrases such as “it is at least still” got Martin Oberholzer since the end of the photo-hear the shops repeatedly. The photo specialist for six years, the owner of the small shop at the exchange street that once belonged to the Koch Optik AG. “Business is up and running thanks to my strategy.” Means: small and diverse. Oberholzer leads the Store with a solid staff and a part-time employee; he advises – the range of cameras and brands is limited. To do this, he sold tele-optical products.
Ueli black brook in Hottingen the Camera Store. “The industry is in misery, we come through.” The business offers the full range of photographic services and is combined with a stationary. Black Creek buys previously owned, sold, but on Ebay around the world. He shares the presence in the business with a partner, a part-time employee and an apprentice.
Digifuchs in the Narrow focused early on on the Internet. Nevertheless, Sabrina Fuchs says: “the end of the Quite stores is a great loss for customers who appreciate personal service.”
“I’ve tried everything”
Dieter Erhardt has long sought to respond to the changes in the industry. “The cancellation of the Euro minimum exchange rate in 2015, and our sales dropped by 15 percent,” he says. Soon the Rent was a burden, the landlords decide not to talk to. As the branch castle Erhardt on Schaffhauserplatz in order to attract people to the Rennweg. He also reduced the range, was looking for a suitable tenant. Nothing helped. “I’ve tried everything to save the business,” he says. At some point he no longer wanted to pay the Rent and pulled the emergency brake.
Catherine Quite call the process “Bleeding”. Sorry you are doing it primarily for the employees. Of your family, you were always a concern. She says: “I’m glad our father didn’t live to see this.” He passed away in October.
(Tages-Anzeiger)
Created: 19.12.2018, 20:38 PM
