One of the most traditional shops in downtown Munich is closing after more than 70 years – but there is to be a comeback. At the end of this year, the fashion group C&A is closing its branch on Kaufingerstrasse because the rental agreement is expiring. A company spokeswoman explained this upon request, confirming a report from Evening News. But she also emphasizes that they are looking for new premises: “Our goal is definitely to stay in Munich’s city center.”
The reason for the expiring rental agreement is that the owners of the building at Kaufinger 11a and 13, which opened in 1952 as a C&A branch, are planning a large-scale renovation, which also affects the two extensions to the rear at Fürstenfelder Straße 1 and 3. The construction work is scheduled to begin at the beginning of 2025 and last around two and a half years. “We are therefore currently examining options that will enable us to continue to be close to our customers,” writes the C&A spokeswoman.
Apparently a return to the traditional location is not out of the question. The landlord of the building is the Inca group of the Inselkammer family, and company circles say that they are in talks with C&A about returning to the much smaller retail space following the renovation. C&A does not comment on this scenario.
According to reports, the Alte Akademie, 250 meters away, is also under discussion for the fashion chain, where only 2,400 of the almost 8,000 square meters of shop space have so far been rented. When asked whether C&A was interested in this, the spokeswoman wrote that “nothing could be confirmed.” However, it is currently unclear what will happen next with the Old Academy. The subsidiary of René Benko’s Signa Group, which wanted to renovate and convert the listed former monastery complex and the former Hettlage building, has filed for bankruptcy. Construction work has been on hold since November. Completion by the end of 2024, when C&A closes on Kaufingerstrasse, is out of the question.
Even without a branch in the pedestrian zone, C&A remains present in Munich. There are six other branches, five of them in shopping centers, the sixth is just outside the city center on Bayerstrasse, right next to the main train station. What happens next, including whether C&A actually plans to continue with two central branches, remains unclear. The company leaves questions about this unanswered.