Pforzheim's East District Faces Supply Gap as Kaufland Confirms February 2027 Exit
Published on 08/13/2026 at 00:31 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
Residents in Pforzheim's eastern quarter are bracing for the loss of their main grocery destination after Kaufland confirmed it will shutter its Hohwiesenweg store at the end of February 2027. The announcement, delivered unexpectedly on Tuesday, 11 August 2026, has triggered immediate negotiations over a social plan covering the roughly 80 employees affected.
The retailer's departure stems not from any corporate restructuring but from a landlord's decision to terminate the lease on the property. Kaufland said the building owner has no intention of abandoning the site as a commercial location, though no prospective tenants or concrete redevelopment plans have been disclosed.
Negotiations begin over severance and transfers
Works council representatives and management have opened talks on an Interessenausgleich — a reconciliation of interests agreement — alongside the social plan, a standard procedure in German labour law when mass redundancies loom. Discussions are expected to cover severance packages, internal transfer options, and support with external job placement.
Kaufland's footprint in Pforzheim will not disappear entirely. Two additional stores, located on Wilhelm-Becker-Straße and at Mühlkanal, remain operational and unaffected by the closure. Whether staff from the Hohwiesenweg branch can be absorbed into those locations forms part of the ongoing consultations.
Local officials move to protect neighbourhood shopping
The news has rattled local politicians and residents alike, who point to the store's role as a daily anchor for the Oststadt district. Less mobile shoppers, in particular, could feel the pinch if no replacement full-range supermarket emerges before the doors close.
City authorities say they are already working on measures to preserve food retail in the area. The administration's stated goal is to close the infrastructure gap as quickly as possible, though reconciling the landlord's commercial ambitions with the neighbourhood's grocery needs will require further municipal deliberation.
Until the final trading day, the Hohwiesenweg store remains open to customers while the workforce awaits clarity on its future. For Kaufland, the February 2027 closure will bring an end to a long-standing presence at the site — and for the Oststadt, the search for what comes next has only just begun.
