80 employees lose their jobs Traditional Swiss company closes all branches after 200 years

The traditional fabric store Creasphere is being transformed into a real estate company. The remaining seven branches are being closed and 80 employees are losing their jobs.

The traditional fabric store Creasphere is closing its doors. Creasphere, once part of the famous Gessner silk weaving mill, was the last link to a long weaving tradition. Now the remaining seven stores are also facing closure. The remaining stores throughout Switzerland will be closed by the fall.

This marks the end of almost 200 years of history, as reported by the "Tages-Anzeiger". The roots of Gessner AG go back to the year 1841. The company gained worldwide recognition for its fabric production in Wädenswil ZH before becoming the last Swiss silk weaving mill to close its doors in 2016.

Damian Isler, Delegate of the Board of Directors and descendant of the founding family, regrets the end of the Creasphere stores. "It is a part of our own identity that is now gone," he explains to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper.

30 minutes of advice earns 12 francs

The Creasphere stores offered a wide range of sewing and knitting supplies as well as interior design advice. However, business with interior design advice has plummeted in recent years. "People have other priorities than optimizing their home down to the last curtain," explains Managing Director Urs Schindler.

Despite the increasing popularity of do-it-yourself projects, this was not enough to compensate for the declining sales in the furnishing sector. The industry was challenging anyway. "Our business is very consulting-intensive, but the products we sell are relatively inexpensive," says Isler. A typical purchase brings in around 12 francs, often after a half-hour consultation.

80 employees lose their jobs

In order to modernize the company, management structures were revised two years ago and sales areas were reduced. However, structures that had grown over time proved to be problematic.

With the closure of the stores, Gessner AG is finally changing from a weaving mill to a real estate company. The remaining fabrics will be sold off by the end of October, while staff reductions are already taking place in some stores. Around 80 employees are facing the loss of their jobs.

Some are considering taking over the store space themselves. "We would be very pleased if the fabric stores could be retained in some form," says Schindler.

The final act of the Creasphere will be heralded by a big sale. "It's crazy how many people are coming back to shop now," says Isler. "It's a shame they didn't come earlier."