Historic Schubiger store closes after 141 years in business

The department stores' was one of the oldest shops in Glarus. SRF

The smallest department store in Switzerland is closing. After five generations and over 140 years of existence, the Schubiger family is giving up for economic reasons.

According to figures from the market research institute CRIF, almost 32,000 shops disappeared in Switzerland between 2009 and 2019, despite population growth. The coronavirus pandemic drove even more customers away from bricks-and-mortar stores and towards online retail, exacerbating the situation.

One of these is the Schubiger department store in Glarus. The big sale is now over. Where a few days ago regular customers and bargain hunters were still browsing the shelves, the mood is now one of gloomy farewells. Shelves lie dismantled on the floor, leftover goods are packed in sacks and boxes.

Tidying up instead of selling: Hans Schubiger takes the dismantling of the shop into his own hands. SRF

Hans Schubiger, the fifth generation of the family to run the department store in Näfels, is standing in the middle of it all, removing panels from the wall with a cordless screwdriver.

‘It just makes me cry’

Closing the family business after 141 years is visibly difficult for him. “It’s mixed feelings,” says Hans Schubiger. “Some days you just feel like crying.” For Schubiger, it is clear that there was no way around the closure.

“The big retailers were offering big discounts of 30 per cent, especially on toys,” he explains. “As a small speciality store, we couldn’t keep up.” Toys accounted for around half of Schubiger’s turnover. So he had to face reality and draw a line in the sand.

With the loss of the Schubiger department store, Näfels GL loses one of its oldest shops. The family business was founded in 1883 when Gallus and Anna Maria Schubiger bought a house and opened the Schubiger bazaar.

This is what the Schubiger department stores’ looked like in 1904. SRF

Even back then, there were all sorts of things to buy in the department store – everything that the people of Glarus needed in everyday life, except salt. This was bought from the salt scales, which had a monopoly on it. Almost 20 years later, the family business moved into its current location – a brick building with two large shop windows.

In January 2014, Hans Schubiger took over the management of the department store in the fifth generation. Over the next few days, he will be busy tidying up. He then plans to leave the retail industry – and self-employment. In August, he will start a new job as an employee.

According to a study by the University of St. Gallen, bricks-and-mortar shops are currently experiencing a renaissance. The study found that people in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are once again shopping locally more often than online. However, this trend reversal has come too late for the Schubiger family business.

Adapted from German using DeepL/amva