Literature - Bookseller Osiander in favor of more Sundays open for business
The head of the Tübingen book retail business Osiander is calling for more flexibility from politics and administration to help individual retailers in city centers. Retailers should be given more leeway, such as more space for merchandise display in front of shops or more open Sundays in the year without specific events, said Christian Riethmüller to the "Reutlinger General-Anzeiger" (Saturday). He expects more understanding from churches and unions for "for example, open Advent Sundays in competition with online trading."
The Retail Opening Hours Act, which came into force in 2007, only allows for three open Sundays and holidays in Baden-Württemberg – instead of the previous four. All holidays in December and all Advent Sundays, as well as Easter and Pentecost Sundays, are therefore protected. Shops must then be closed. "This also takes into account the need for rest for sales personnel," it is stated in the explanation.
Osiander was founded in 1596 and, according to its own statements, is the second oldest existing bookstore in Germany. The report states that the branch network consists of 61 locations – 47 in Baden-Württemberg, 11 in Bavaria, and 3 in Rhineland-Palatinate. In 2021, Osiander entered into a partnership with the similarly family-owned book retail business Thalia.
Customer base getting younger
Besides stable information technology, the cooperation between Osiander also secured improved access to toys and gift articles, said the manager of the newspaper. Among the latest changes in the product range were the expansion in English books and children's departments: "The average age of our customers has dropped from earlier around 50 years to now around 40 years."
Riethmüller expects Osiander to achieve a turnover of 111 million Euro in the business year 2023/2024 (up to September 30) – 100 million Euro in the stores and 11 million Euro in digital trade. This would therefore be a sales increase of 4.5 percent compared to the business year 2022/2023. The sales margin before taxes in the previous business year was 2.5 percent. "We will improve ourselves in 2023/2024." Osiander employs a total of 576 people, including 59 trainees.
- The "Reutlinger General-Anzeiger" reported on Christian Riethmüller's call for more flexibility from the municipality and politics in Tübingen, specifically mentioning the need for more open Sundays in the year for retailers.
- The "Reutlinger General-Anzeiger" also covered the topic of digital trade, highlighting how Osiander, a book retail business based in Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, has partnered with Thalia to secure improved access to digital products, contributing to a decline in the average age of their customer base from around 50 years to around 40 years.
- In an effort to expand its product offerings, Osiander has also expanded its English book and children's departments, leveraging the power of the internet to connect with a younger customer base both online and in its physical stores located in several German states, including Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, and Rhineland-Palatinate.
