Toy store with tradition – Franz Carl Weber is sold – branch network remains – News

  • The traditional toy dealer Franz Carl Weber (FCW) is sold.
  • The buyer is the German drugstore chain Müller.
  • The toy seller’s current branch network will remain in place for the time being.
  • However, the retail space will become smaller in the long term.

FCW Chairman of the Board of Directors Marcel Dobler wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that FCW would be taken over by Müller Handels AG Schweiz after the successful restructuring. He confirmed a report in the “Handelzeitung”. He will remain as Chairman of the Board of Directors and will help to develop the company further.

According to Dobler, founder of Digitec and FDP national councilor of the canton of St. Gallen, Müller Handels AG Schweiz will take over 100 percent of FCW’s share capital. It was agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Nothing changes for the customer.

The Franz Carl Weber brand will remain, however, and no changes are currently planned to the branch network, continues Dobler, who joined FCW as a shareholder in 2018 and holds around half of the shares. “Nothing will change for the customer,” continues the National Councilor and Digitec co-founder. «The company remains an affair of the heart for me.»

Understanding of “Swissness” loss

In an interview with “20min.ch”, Dobler says he can understand the feeling that the sale will lose some of the Swissness of the traditional company – although the shares will remain in Switzerland. «The goal of the sale was to create the best framework for the future of FCW. That was successful,” says Dobler.

Company with tradition


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Franz Carl Weber is a lighthouse in Swiss retail. The company was founded in 1881 and today employs almost 200 people in 23 branches.

FCW has changed hands several times in recent history. Denner bought the family business in 1984 and sold it to the French toy company Ludendo in 2006. When Ludendo had to file for bankruptcy around five years ago, Dobler and the Simba Dickie Group took over the reins together with the then CEO Yves Burger.

A year later, Burger parted ways and as a result, FCW was trimmed for success: For example, a new central warehouse was set up, the expansion of the online shop was pushed forward, and automation projects in purchasing were initiated. According to the businessmonitor company directory, Daniel Nenadic is the new CEO.

For him, Müller is the ideal owner of FCW. The German drugstore chain can buy quantities of toys at prices that would not have been possible for FCW alone. “That gives scope for necessary investments,” Dobler continues in the interview. With annual sales of around four billion euros and over 35,000 employees, Müller is one of the largest European drugstore groups.

Buying toys on site in a shop is still possible at FCW. However, the retail space will become smaller in the long term. Dobler says: “This is a general development that Corona has accelerated.” However, all employees would continue to be employed. The name will also stay, assures Dobler.

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