I already wrote about the Schlecker insolvency. But the “schleck” continues.
Many of the German states have now negotiated the continuation of the remaining branches of the ailing chain. As always, the leading argument was that jobs must be saved.
That Annoys Me!
To be sure, a small minority of states refused the rescue investments. This might be painful for the employees, but it is probably the right decision.
I never understood why all the drugstores had to extend their product range in such an extensive way. Consequently, I also never understood why they could have been such a success. Especially if these drugstores were situated right next to the discount shops where you, basically, could get everything you need for personal hygiene.
For me, drugstores have always been the embodiment of a perverse combination of body-cult and consumption prurience. But the multitude of “stylish” products with their empty promises of beauty, nice smells and sexual success and whatever else they offered simply appealed to the “consumers”.
That made these chains money presses. With an unbelievable expansion speed, they generated billions of profits for their owners. It does not matter if they were called DM, Müller, Rossmann or Schlecker, all they sold was basically crude oil in the shape of over-expensive organic chemical products, dressed in extravagant packing and re-named hygiene articles. Well, it was plastic waste multiplied.
Now one of them is finished. One that never enjoyed the best of reputations. One for which probably there is no longer room on the market. And everybody starts lamenting and demanding money in order to preserve jobs. And the citizens are supposed to pay for it!
A short time ago, the consumption temples of a department store chain were suffering. The building supply stores will be next (you can already hear whispers about the “Praktiker” dynamically increasing its yearly loss on a high level (SZ). Another one of those former gold-mines that made their owners rich by selling cheap junk.
Neither do I have any confidence in the XXL furniture shops with their mega unethical price structures. They, too, are nothing but “Cheapies”, cheating their customers with inexpensive products for the bulky waste and super discounts.
Should we really rescue all the ailing department stores, discount stores, drugstores, building supply stores and furniture stores with our tax money? Or will there be a second rescue umbrella for the internal consumption?
So what do I do against it?
I try to reduce my consumption to a minimum! And I ask people not to buy all the rubbish they see. Instead, they should start thinking, before buying!
And if I really need something urgently (which, incidentally, happens rather seldom), then I buy quality.
So what else annoys me about today’s news?
The report about the solution they found for Müllerbrot, which certainly was also painful but probably the wrong solution. The fact that the EURO rescue umbrella is to be extended to one billion Euros, the confirmation by the SZ that the great statistics concerning the unemployment are really rather sugar-coated…
And I secretly do the calculations about how long it will take until the gas bubble in the North Sea will reach the small light burning on top of the drilling platform and when there will be the great POUFF.
So here we go – into the rain …
RMD
(Translated by EG)
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