Insolvency shock for Expert in Franconia: The fate of 4 locations!

Insolvency shock for Expert in Franconia: The fate of 4 locations!

The news hits like a bomb: expert Franken GmbH and expert Mainfranken GmbH filed for insolvency with the Schweinfurt district court on July 16, 2025. Four locations in Franconia are affected: Schweinfurt, Bad Kissingen, Forchheim and Fürth. The continuation of these stores is now in jeopardy, even if the owner family and the expert headquarters are doing everything in their power to keep the branches under the expert brand. Currently, these are “highly likely” to be continued under the supervision of a provisional insolvency administrator, as Merkur reports.

The situation is explosive because around 30 employees in Fürth are directly affected by the insolvency. For the time being, the Expert markets in the affected cities will remain open, but the long-term future is more than uncertain. At the gates of the “Flair” shopping center in Fürth, economics officer Horst Müller expressed concerns that closing the location could result in significant vacancies. The branch, which has been in the shopping center since March 2022 and occupies around 1,600 square meters of sales space, could get caught in the crossfire of economic uncertainties.

Facts and figures about insolvency

The insolvency only affects the four locations mentioned. Despite the serious situation, those responsible on site are initially considering how a possible failure can be mitigated. There are various alternatives available to close the gaps that could arise from a possible market closure. The expert group, one of the largest electronics retail chains in Germany, is now also faced with this challenge.

The numbers are alarming: According to Debt Insolvency Center, 5,209 corporate bankruptcies were recorded in Germany in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 26.5% compared to the previous year. One might think that inflation and rising interest rates are not only affecting small companies, but also large companies. This shows that economic uncertainty is omnipresent and that companies – regardless of size – are under pressure.

While none of the expert locations in other cities such as Nuremberg, Schwabach and Neumarkt are affected, it is the decentralized corporate structure that has a decisive effect here. Each market functions as a legally independent member company. This can easily lead to individual fates at individual locations, as can currently be observed in Franconia. The implications of this trend are troubling for both employees and the site community.

Especially in times when the financial stability of companies and consumers is being put to the test, it remains to be hoped that a solution will be found for the affected locations in Franconia that protects employees and local structures. It remains to be hoped that we keep a good hand here and that the Fürth location, as well as the other branches, get back on their feet as soon as possible.