Dortmund/Garching, August 2026. The breakup of the insolvent home improvement chains Hellweg and BayWa Bau & Garten is entering a new phase. Today, the Essen District Court opened insolvency proceedings for BayWa Bau & Garten due to illiquidity and over-indebtedness. At the same time, no investor has yet emerged for the store in Waldkirchen. While takeover offers have been received for significant portions of the 114 stores, numerous locations remain without a clear future. Around 4,200 employees work across the two retail networks. In addition, approximately 340 jobs at the Dortmund and Garching headquarters are set to be cut.
Hellweg: Bauhaus, Obi, and Hornbach Make Offers for Stores
According to industry reports, Bauhaus, Obi, and Hornbach have submitted concrete offers for parts of the store network. Bauhaus is reportedly particularly interested in the Hellweg locations in Berlin. Obi has also reportedly expressed interest in acquiring up to ten stores. However, the companies themselves have not yet publicly confirmed the specific bids.
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The bids submitted so far by the three competitors cover significantly less than half of the 114 stores. Consequently, the future of a substantial portion of the network remains uncertain. Toom has held back thus far, while Globus and Hagebau partners are also considered potential future interested parties. Those managing the restructuring have so far only confirmed the receipt of various offers for significant parts of the portfolio.
BayWa store in Waldkirchen apparently finding no buyer
This uncertainty is becoming particularly tangible in Waldkirchen, in the Freyung-Grafenau district, where BayWa Bau & Garten operates a store on Bahnhofstraße. According to the Passauer Neue Presse, a takeover by an investor currently appears unlikely. Although the store remains open, its long-term continued operation is not yet guaranteed.
The Essen District Court opened main insolvency proceedings for BayWa Bau & Garten on August 26, citing illiquidity and over-indebtedness as the reasons. However, the company remains under self-administration, meaning management continues to run the business under the supervision of a court-appointed monitor. Creditors have until October 19 to file their claims.
Hellweg losing its current corporate structure
It is now considered impossible for Hellweg and BayWa Bau & Garten to continue operating as complete, standalone companies. Instead, various investors are expected to take over individual groups of stores and operate them under different brands. As a result, the existing headquarters in Dortmund and Garching are closing, directly affecting around 340 employees. Conversely, for the stores that are taken over, the restructuring team generally expects the staff to transfer to the respective buyer.
In contrast, a complete rescue was achieved for the likewise insolvent “Gartencenter Augsburg” chain. The Semer family’s investment company is taking over all seven stores in the Ruhr region effective September 1. This saves around 360 jobs and apprenticeships. Additionally, the headquarters is relocating from Schwerte to Dortmund. However, this outcome also highlights just how far Hellweg and BayWa Bau & Garten are from achieving a comparable comprehensive solution.
Many of the 114 stores remain without a clear future
The investor process will now determine the fate of the remaining locations and several thousand jobs. While those managing the restructuring expect significant parts of the store network to be transferred, they have yet to provide a definitive list of locations. At the same time, the situation in Waldkirchen illustrates for the first time that individual stores could be left without a buyer. Consequently, only the upcoming contract signings will reveal how many of the 114 locations will actually remain in operation.
Locations facing economic challenges are particularly at risk. High rents can complicate a takeover, as potential buyers would need to negotiate more favorable terms with landlords. For the time being, the stores will continue to operate for customers, but this offers no guarantee for any specific location. The breakup of the group is therefore likely to result in further closures or changes of operator.
Author: Blackout News
Sources: Passauer neue Presse (26.08.26) – Chip (26.08.26) – WDR (21.08.26) – INDat (14.08.26)