Hallhuber — German womenswear chain closed all 130 stores after second insolvency

Hallhuber was a German women's outerwear retailer founded in Munich in 1977. It grew into a chain of approximately 130 stores across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, selling trend-driven premium womenswear. In its last full fiscal year, Hallhuber generated roughly €170 million in gross revenue and employed about 1,200 people. In September 2009, the company was acquired by Change Capital Partners, a London-based private equity firm.

The retailer first filed for insolvency in 2021, struggling with the impact of pandemic lockdowns on physical fashion retail. It was restructured and continued operating, but the underlying problems — a large store network with high rents, competition from fast fashion and online pure-players, and changing consumer habits — were never resolved. In May 2023, Hallhuber filed for insolvency for the second time in two years, this time in self-administration at the Munich District Court.

The company searched intensively for an investor willing to take over the chain as a going concern. Despite negotiations with multiple interested parties, no buyer emerged. By the end of October 2023, all Hallhuber stores had closed permanently. The online shop was also shut down. The entire workforce of approximately 1,200 employees was made redundant. The Hallhuber brand, which had been a fixture of German high-street womenswear for 46 years, disappeared from the retail landscape entirely.