Trade. Klein electricity store will unplug

One hundred and thirteen years. This is the exceptional longevity of the Klein store, located since the beginning of the adventure, rue de la Vieille-Porte, in Thionville. “It was my great-grandfather, François, who created it,” says Yves Klein, his great-grandson. “In the beginning, it was mainly a mechanical workshop,” he explains. Edmond, the grandfather, took over in the 1930s. “He turned it into an electricity store with a few bikes at the start”. Yves’s father, Jean-Marie, when he took over the business in 1967, along with his wife Fernande, decided to specialize exclusively in electricity. It will then diversify by also offering chandeliers or small appliances. “We sold a lot of lights at that time,” Fernande remembers. The big brands did not yet exist, it was a good time for small businesses. Their son Yves took over the reins in 2004. Already an entrepreneur, an electricity company in the construction sector, he decided to split the two entities in 2016. “Unfortunately the store’s activity began to drop significantly. three years ago, ”he laments. The economic situation, mass distribution, the Internet, there are plenty of reasons. “I had hired two people because the store’s hourly range was very wide. I tried to diversify as much as possible by offering tableware, small hardware or batteries. “

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The death in the soul

As the fixed charges end up being too high, his accountant sounds the alarm. “After confinement, he informed me that the store was minus € 36,000. He advised me to unload myself from the store otherwise my business could suffer ”. It is therefore death in the soul that the Klein family decides to stop the costs. “I cried about it,” our rugby-looking fellow is still moved. “This is where it all started… but we had to react. Fortunately, my business is going well, I have nothing to complain about. However, Yves says he reserves the right to create a new business in the near future. “We will completely redo the cells within two years, but I do not yet know where we will go. We’re thinking… ”The store should still be in operation until the end of the year or even the beginning of next year. History of selling what can still be. For customers, this will undoubtedly also mean the prospect of doing good business. Stay up to date.

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