Insolvency proceedings

Kika/Leiner no longer accepts vouchers

(Bild: APA/Helmut Fohringer)

Shortly after the company's insolvency became known, there was already a stir about the Kika/Leiner vouchers, with some stores briefly refusing to accept them. It is now clear that stores will no longer be redeeming vouchers. It will now be difficult for customers ...

Anyone who still has outstanding vouchers and wants to get their money back must register the outstanding amount as an insolvency claim. However, only the quota specified in the proceedings will be returned and not the full voucher value. What happens to advance payments for larger purchases such as kitchens is still open.

Filing a claim costs 25 euros
"No more vouchers have been accepted since the insolvency proceedings were opened," said the Kika/Leiner spokesperson on Monday. Last week, the Association for Consumer Information (VKI) advised customers to redeem vouchers as quickly as possible, as otherwise they would have to be registered as a claim and this would cost money. However, some branches initially refused to do this, leaving customers at a loss. 

There is a fee of 25 euros for registering a claim. In the case of small claims, it should therefore be considered whether or not it is worth registering - not least because customers do not get back the full amount, but only the quota specified in the procedure, according to the VKI. Creditors can register claims until January 10, 2025.

What happens to down payments for kitchens etc.?
Whether customers who have already made down payments for larger purchases will still receive their goods or will also have to join the ranks of creditors remains to be seen. This is because the insolvency administrator must first decide whether or not to enter into the contract that has already been concluded. If he enters into the contract, the customer is entitled to the full goods for which the down payment was made and pays the full price. If he does not do so, the down payment becomes an insolvency claim.

XXXLutz wants to make offers to Kika/Leiner customers.

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

In the second case, the competitor XXXLutz has already announced that it wants to take over open Kika/Leiner customer orders "as cost-neutral as possible for the customers". The company will make an offer in this regard.

Kika/Leiner filed for insolvency for the second time
Last week, furniture retailer Kika/Leiner filed for insolvency for the second time in two years. The company had already become insolvent in 2023, shortly after René Benko's Signa sold the Kika/Leiner properties to Graz-based Supernova and the operational furniture business to retail manager Hermann Wieser. As a result, 23 of the 40 stores were closed and 1,500 employees were made redundant.

Now the remaining 17 branches are on the brink of collapse, with the company still employing 1,400 staff. Around 150 employees in the catering operations in the Kika/Leiner buildings are not directly affected by the insolvency; they are employed in a separate company.