Kika/Leiner: Austrian Furniture Retailer Ceases Operations

After 115 years, the history of Kika/Leiner has come to an end. On 29 January 2025, the last 17 stores closed their doors for good, leaving around 1,350 employees without a job. Founded in 1910 by Rudolf Leiner in St. Pölten, the company shaped the Austrian furniture retail sector for decades. However, in recent years, the chain faced increasing financial difficulties.

Since 2013, Kika/Leiner has undergone three changes in ownership and endured two insolvencies. Once Austria’s second-largest furniture retailer, with 7,500 employees across 73 locations at its peak, the company was unable to stabilise despite multiple restructuring attempts. In 2013, it was acquired by the South African Steinhoff Group, followed by a sale to René Benko’s Signa Group in 2018. After further restructuring, the operational business was transferred to retail executive Hermann Wieser in 2023, but a second insolvency in November 2024 ultimately sealed the company’s fate. In December 2024, Kika/Leiner withdrew its final restructuring plan and filed for bankruptcy. A lack of financial resources and potential investors made any rescue effort impossible.

Carpet Home-Newsletter: Click here for free newsletter subscription