After Chaussures Vedette, another historic brand is about to close its doors: Chaussures Goedert, founded in 1935, will disappear by the end of this year, according to two reliable sources. 

The family-run company now managed by the third generation currently has two shops, one at 36 Grand-Rue and another one at 46 avenue de la Gare. The one at the City Concorde shopping centre already closed at the end of August, and the Esch/Alzette shop also previously shut down. At the moment, only five employees are still working for the brand, trying to empty stocks before the end of the year. 

A little further down the avenue de la Gare, the Z shop is also liquidating its stock of children’s clothes. The closure is expected by the end of the year, not only for this store, but also for the two others of the parent company Kidiliz, currently employing 11 employees in the grand duchy. The shops in question are the Z store in Ettelbruck as well as Catimini located inside Auchan Kirchberg.  

The end of an era at Auchan Kirchberg 

In this regard, the centre managed by Ceetrus sees another store close its doors for good: the Maroquinerie du Passage, one of the historic occupants for the past 25 years, said its final goodbyes at the beginning of October, confirms boss Marc Muller. ‘’No one has lost their job, as staff has been relocated to the Belle Etoile’’ where the court’s supplier brand has another point of sale. 

“The problem of our sector is travelling,” stresses Muller, who is also president of the Fédération de la mode (fashion federation). “We make a third of our turnover with luggage sales, and at the moment, luggage sale is zero. This sector is dead until people start travelling again,’’ he insists. 

The impact of the coronavirus on the retail trade therefore seems to exceed the two months of closure imposed during the lockdown this past spring. 

The Carrefour Express, located at the beginning of avenue de la Gare, also bears witness to this. Its closure at the beginning of last spring was undeniably linked to covid-19 and the decrease in traffic on the shopping artery. Although pedestrian flows have increased again, the shutters are still down. According to sources, employees are still on furlough. There have been no layoffs. “This is worrisome and surprising,’’ says David Angel of the OGBL trade union. Contacted by Paperjam, Carrefour says that “the closure is temporary. We regularly analyse the possibility of reopening with the franchised partner, who currently does not want to reopen.’’ The store has been closed for 7 months. 

This article was originally published in French on Paperjam.lu and has been translated and edited for Delano.