“We’re closing – Everything must go! On July 4 at 8:00 p.m., we close the Okay stores. Take advantage of unique opportunities and purchase selected goods at liquidation prices in the e-shop and stores,” says Okay.
We are closing, writes the OKAY chain of stores on its website.
Photo: OKAY
In the terms, Okay states that “We’re Closing – Everything Must Go” was a promotion valid until July 4th. But what is the reality?
Some stores of the Okay network in the Czech Republic and Slovakia will be closed due to poor financial results. However, this is not the end of the entire network, but rather a misleading marketing campaign to attract customers. On social networks, customers express that the prices in the stores are not really “clearance”.
Stores contacted by the server, for example zive.sk, state that they will continue to operate. One of them said that after the 4th of July it will close for a few days, but then it will open again.
This campaign is not new for Okay. In the past, some branches have already announced their closure on a certain date, but reopened after a few days.
The founder Jindřich Životský tried to get an investor, but was unsuccessful. As a result, there were to be layoffs and the closing of some branches.
However, the popular chain of stores has been struggling with a bad financial situation for several years. The network’s founder was closest to a deal with Mutares, a German firm that specializes in troubled assets. Dealing with her, however, according to Economic newspaperended without result.
Up to 40 people should leave the company. “We were offered either to leave on June 1 and receive a month’s compensation, or two months’ notice and one salary,” one of the dismissed employees told Hospodářský noviním.
Okay has decided to close 30 brick-and-mortar stores in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which represents approximately a third of its approximately 100 branches.
Director for e-commerce and marketing Jan Vyletěl commented on these measures, saying that they are normal internal operational steps that do not need further comment.
The company’s next step will be a management restructuring. Founder Jindřich Životský and his daughter Nicola, who works in marketing, will resign from their positions. The new director of the company will be David Tráge, former sales director with management experience from Kaufland and Lidl.
The problems of the Okay chain are not new. The media has been reporting on problems for a long time, such as problems with delivery of orders and non-payment of canceled orders for which the company was inspected by the Czech Trade Inspection. The company attributed these problems to difficulties with suppliers.
Source: eurozpravy.cz
