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From Heike Sabel
Much points to Kaufland as the new tenant at Heidenauer Real. Although this has not yet been officially confirmed, there is already much speculation. One question is how this can work if Kaufland was not allowed to take over Real two years ago for competition law reasons. One detail makes all the difference.
Unlike two years ago, Kaufland is not taking over Real as a company, but is renting space in the building owned by a Russian investor. Such a rental agreement is not subject to merger control, says the German Federal Cartel Office at the request of Saxon.com. An empty building is a different competitive situation. The Real insolvency also plays a role, says authority spokesman Kay Weidner. Added to this is the closure period for the conversion, during which Kaufland in Heidenau does not intervene in the competition.
Kaufland situation in the surrounding area unchanged
When assessing a takeover, it is always a question of the competitive position at the specific point in time. This is why the Federal Cartel Office rejected the Real takeover of Kaufland. The reasons for this have not changed since then. There are two Kaufland stores in the Heidenau area, one in Pirna and one in the Kaufpark Dresden-Nickern. However, it is the detail of the lease agreement that makes the situation different.
However, it will be some time before the people of Heidenau can shop at Kaufland. The rental contract is due to start on April 1, the other ended on March 31. The property owner's representative told Heidenau's mayor that the conversion will take around a year. Before the conversion, however, it must also be clear who will then operate the stores in the vestibule as a subtenant.
At the end of March, all previous tenants in Heidenauer Real received their notices of termination. Some are looking for alternatives, others are waiting. It is to be expected that not all of them will stay in Heidenau - because they cannot find suitable premises or because they have other locations nearby, such as Mayer's Schuhe in Pirna. It will be interesting to see who moves in or moves out after the reopening.
