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Whether it's a shoe store, organic store or sneaker chain: there are more and more closures in Fulda's city center at the moment. In addition to existing vacancies, this development shortly before the Hessentag is not exactly optimal. City marketing is optimistic.
Fulda – The Footlocker branch on Bahnhofstrasse was closed unexpectedly and at record speed. The shoe store “Rieker Shop” on Marktstrasse has closed its doors after almost twelve years. The “Stern” leather gallery is closing forever after 38 years in Zitronemannsgässchen – and that Lindengut's city store on Rabanusstrasse is history again after just six months.
Will Fulda become a ghost town? Store closures are increasing
There were a noticeable number of closures in May. In the city center you will also notice some empty or taped-up shop windows where nothing has happened for months: Quick Schuh on Bahnhofstrasse, for example, has been closed since the end of 2025 and Optik Krey (Rabanusstrasse) has been closed since the end of 2024.
“According to our information, there are interested parties for all of the locations mentioned. Optik Krey is being converted into office space. A major construction project is expected for the Quick Schuh property,” emphasizes Edi Leib from CityMarketing and gives us answers to the most important questions.
How do you rate the developments in Fulda city center?
There is a lot of investment and construction going on in the city center. There are many innovative ideas, such as the fitness studio on Friedrichstrasse or the new concept of Café Thielethe Café Mint at the Buttermarkt or the Calido coffee shop on Marktstrasse. So we see the change process as predominantly positive.
How does city marketing deal with vacancies, especially against the backdrop of Hessentag?
The development of vacancies is currently very dynamic. However, for most, new tenants can be found within a few weeks or months. We are in direct contact with the landlords. Some owners of empty retail spaces are planning extensive renovations and possibly a new construction of their property. As a result, some locations remain empty for a longer period of time. For the Hesse day We will also decorate some shop windows, for example where long-term renovations are underway.
Stationary retail is becoming less important than restaurants
How do you rate the attractiveness of the city center and where do you see reasons for business closures?
Fulda's city center has very good chances of attracting many visitors in the future. However, trade, which was previously the dominant function, has lost its importance. However, other functions are strong enough in Fulda to ensure its attractiveness and to stabilize the city center. Visitors value Fulda as a place of culture, events, leisure and gastronomy.
How can city marketing “accompany” development and, if necessary, have a positive influence through actions and initiatives?
City marketing and city marketing are working intensively to keep visitor frequency in the city center at a high level. This happens with smaller and larger actions.
This year, of course, the focus is on Hessentag. On June 14th there will be a shopping Sunday, on Saturday, June 13th, there will be some open-air fashion shows and the dealers have also come up with many special promotions. We firmly expect that visitors to the Hessentag will come back several times, for example to the StadtLesen with Tim Bergmann from July 2nd to July 5th, to the city festival from August 20th to 23rd or to the street art festival from September 4th to 6th.
This is how the owners justify the closures of their shops
The reasons for the current closures in the city center are varied, ranging from personal to economic reasons. The owners of the Rieker Shop on Marktstrasse, for example, come from Marburg and are the owners of the property: Dirk Steinmetz (59) and Petra Trenz (58).
“We like Fulda, it’s a great location and a great city center,” says Trenz. But: “Due to our personal life situation, we closed the shop. The concept was designed to last ten years from the start, and we were now in the 12th year.” They want to concentrate on the family business in Marburg. For the property in a prime location, adjacent to the butter market, Petra Trenz is hoping for a “new, young concept. We believe in the location,” she emphasizes.
After just six months, the “StadtLaden” in Lindengut on Rabanusstrasse opposite the bus station is closed; the doors have been closed since May 22nd. The reason: lack of profitability. “We haven't managed to cover the costs in these months,” explains Anja Lindner, who runs the organic hotel LindenGut in Dipperz with former Tegut boss Wolfgang Gutberlet.
“With large employers such as the city administration in the city palace or the savings bank nearby, as well as 44 residential units and a medical center in the immediate vicinity, we hoped for higher frequency,” explains Lindner. “We will now focus on our farm shop and hope that customers from the city will come to Dipperz.” Incidentally, the employees from the city store will also be moving there.
The “Stern” leather gallery in Zitronemannsgässchen is also closing – after 38 years. Eva Stern from near Steinau an der Straße ran the leather goods shop for 20 years: “A lot of passion goes into it,” she emphasizes. But she is 63 years old and is now retiring – and has not found a successor. Your permanent employee already has a new job somewhere else. She hopes that there will be a nice, new concept for the location – “and if possible not another kebab shop or barber“.
