What on earth has happened to Manor ?

Daily Life, Swiss News and General Topics
1
Hi,

I need to look at getting another tv or perhaps a monitor with sound output.

As I still have a Manor card and I remembered they had a good selection of products in the Zurich store so I decided to go have a look. It has all gone...all that is a left is a few naff Apple products and a few Sony laptops. No tvs, no monitors, no cameras...nothing. Total area is about the same size as my bathroom. I know I can go to Media Markt, Digitec or Interdiscount but I remember when Manor used have stuff you could not get else where and good discounts during their sales.

When I first came to Switzerland I used to go regularly to Manor ( or Rheinbrucke as it used to called). However, it has gone so downhill in the last few years that I am at a total loss as to why I would ever go into Manor...there is just nothing of interest for me there any more.

I am not sure if I quite understand their new strategy.

Have fun

Martin

2
Good question .- in many villages Manor shops have totally disappeared- gone, empty, deserted (our Manor used to be Placette, and before that our dear Galeries du Vallon) sad

3
I noticed that about three or four months ago. Pretty much everything has been reduced to a few basic things. It looks as if Manor has bailed out of the electronic business

If you really want to shop for TVs and other electronic/electrical stuff in Zürich then the FUST Eschenmoser branch at tramstop Werd is probably a good bet these days (tram 14 or, I think, 9).

4
Checked their WEBsite right now www.manor.ch . Yes, it looks as if MANOR (Maus&Nordmann) limits its activities to foodstuffs and textiles. There was nothing in the media so that I am a bit surprised

A look at the empire of the "mice"

Established in Geneva in 1902

A Swiss family enterprise spanning over a century, four continents and four generations of the Maus and Nordmann clans. In November 1902, department store owner Leon Nordmann with close friends, brothers Ernest and Henri Maus (mercantile and hosiery wholesalers) formed a partnership and opened their first venture in Luzern. The department store specialised in textiles, notions and knitwear. Relatively modest in surface compared to leading Parisian department stores of the day, that first store boasted avant-garde commercial retail sense and practices:

Founders

Leon Nordmann

Ernest and Henri Maus 1892

Ernest and Henri Maus open Maus Frères, a mercantile and hosiery wholesaler, and start a cottage industry of hosiers in Bienne, in the canton of Bern, Switzerland

1901

Maus Frères moves to Geneva and extends its network as supplier to independent shops.

1902

Leon Nordmann opens KAUFHAUS NORDMANN department store in Willisau, in the canton of Luzern, Switzerland

1902

Leon Nordmann enters into a partnership with suppliers and close friends Ernest and Henri Maus. The jointly-owned WARENHAUS LEON NORDMANN opens at N° 7 Weggisgasse, Luzern on November 1902.

Second Generation

André Maus

Robert Nordmann 1914

1931

Creation

Société Alsacienne de Magasins à Prix Uniques, comptrolling body for Prisunic department stores in eastern France

1932

Opening

MAGAZINE ZUR RHEINBRUCKE department store

Basel

1938

Acquisition

BERGNER’S department store chain

Peoria, Illinois, USA

1952

Innovation *

Food Supermarket section in Maus Frères department stores

Nationwide

1953

Acquisition

NOUVELLES GALERIES first and leading department store chain in France, major association with Pierre Levi.

* 1 in Switzerland

Third Generation

Gérard and Philippe Nordmann

Jacques, Bertrand and Olivier Maus 1965

Innovation *

MANOR department store with private parking facilities

Sargans, Switzerland

1967

Inauguration

Flagship department store LA PLACETTE

Geneva, Switzerland

1968

Inauguration *

MANOR department store in a shopping mall

Spreitenbach, Switzerland

1970

Reorganisation

Operations Central with distinct divisions and directors for administration, sales and purchasing with purchasing centres in Basel and luzern

1972

Acquisition

PRINTEMPS Group (Printemps, Prisunic, Brummel, Armand Thierry,

La Redoute, Viniprix, Euromarché)

France

1974

Acquisition *

JUMBO hypermarket / do-it-yourself store chain

Dietlikon, Switzerland

1982

Innovation

MANORA independent restaurant chain

Nationwide

1982

Innovation *

Manor CULTURAL awards

Luzern

1985

Opening

CITY DISC record store chain

Basel, Switzerland

1989

Acquisition

CARSON PIRIE SCOTT department store chain

Chicago, USA

1991

Sale

PRINTEMPS Group to François Pinault withdrawal of investments in France and the United States

1992

Sale

CARSON PIRIE SCOTT department store chain withdrawal of investments

in the United States

* 1 in Switzerland

Fourth Generation

CEO Didier Maus

Thierry Halff, Pierre-André Maus 1994

Opening *

ELECTROPLUS consumer electronics chain

Hinwil, Switzerland

1994

Opening

JEANS & Co. streetwear boutique chain

Nationwide

1995

Opening *

ATHLETICUM sporting goods megastore chain

Nationwide

1996

Acquisition

ParaSHOP drugstore chain

France/italy

1998

Acquisition

DEVANLAY, manufacturer and distributor for LACOSTE lifestyle clothing

and accessories brand

Worldwide

1998

Acquisition

Franchise for Switzerland Fly lifestyle furniture furnishings store chain

Nationwide

2000

Consolidation

Maus Frères department stores reunited under one logo : MANOR

Nationwide

2000

Joint Venture

CARREFOUR hypermarket chain

Nationwide

2001

Sale

CITY DISC, ELECTROPLUS, JEANS & Co.

2003

Acquisition

AIGLE outdoor/sporting clotheswear and accessories brand and distribution

Worldwide

2007

Acquisition

ACCARDA customer and credit card management company

Nationwide

2007

Sale

CARREFOUR Switzerland

2008

Acquisition

GANT clothing and accessories brand and distribution

Worldwide

2011

Acquisition

EBOUTIC, private sales online

Switzerland

2012

Sale

FLY Suisse to FLY France

2012

Acquisition

LACOSTE SA, elegant sportswear

Worldwide

* 1st in Switzerland

Landmark Brands

Internet links to company websites

[](http://www.manor.ch/)

Department Stores

[](http://www.manor.ch/fr/manor+food/markenwelt-manor-food.html)

Supermarkets

[](http://www.manor.ch/fr/manora+restaurants/markenwelt-restaurants.html)

Restaurants

[](http://www.jumbo.ch/)

Do-It-Yourself Center

[](http://www.athleticum.ch/)

Sporting Goods

[](http://www.accarda.com/)

Customer and Credit

Card Management

[](http://www.parashop.com/)

Drugstores/Perfumeries

[](http://www.devanlay.fr/public/hr)

Sportswear

[](http://www.lacoste.com/)

Sportswear

[](http://www.aigle.com/)

Outdoor

[](http://www.gant.com/)

Sportswear

[](http://www.eboutic.ch)

Online shopping sit e

make me expect the MICE to be enroute to acquiring a telecommunications company, but again nothing in the media

Steps they do are seldom results of sheer coincidence

5
They closed their electronics section in Morges last year during a revamp of the store. Now you have to go to Lausanne to see anything in the electronics area. Will be interesting to see how long they keep it there.

6
They also vastly reduced their "own brand" sports gear, which I think is a shame, they were some of the only ones who had stuff in my size AND that I could afford.

7
Electronics is a highly competitive low margin business requiing floor space.

No surprise they are pulling out of it and leaving it to others

8
My compilation above was to show that the vast conglomerate of MAus&NORdmann is under the command of less than half a dozen people. But I have to admit that I do NOT know anything further.

9
According to 20 Minutes last week, at the end of 2014 the lease on the Bahnhofstr Zürich building runs out and they will have to shut down this branch of Manor. It will be replaced by small shops.

The article also mentioned that there is an option of moving Manor to Sihl City, but my wife says the restaurant will not be part of any move.

Anyone with any "insider" knowledge?

10
Back in the fogs of time, before Manor came, the store was called Carl Weber. They sold quality products. If it had anything to do with Franz Carl Weber I don't know. But, it had a superb and pleasant restaurant on the top floor, with service and very reasonably priced. We went a lot. The Bahnhof end of the Bahnhofstrasse was then of a much better class. No s**t places and no discounters. I was in Manor recently and quite honestly I don't see how they can compete unless a Woolworth's would open up on the Bahnhofstrasse (which wouldn't surprise me.)

11
F.t.f.y.. And no, Oscar Weber and Franz Carl Weber had nothing in common except the fairly frequent last name. Oscar was a Swiss Weber, whereas Franz Carl was an immigrant from Bavaria. No financial ties either.

12
It's actually the end of January 2014.

http://www.20min.ch/schweiz/zuerich/...rasse-31130649

There was talk about moving them some place at the Sihlporte or Talacker - which is completely ridiculous of course.

It will be dragged through the courts for some time, during which the store remains open ;-)

13

Interesting. I didn’t know Manor had anything to do with Carrefour in Switzerland.

14
You don't know anything further? We are all at a loss then

15
Aha. I only quickly scanned the article. Thanks for the clarification.

My wife has worked the last 13 years in the restaurant and the managers are saying to the staff "do not worry, your jobs are safe - 5 years at least". I just thought it was a ploy to keep them motivated over the Christmas period (where they make a killing in the restaurant normally).

I remember something similar in a couple of my past jobs.

I really hope they manage to keep the business in Bahnhofstr, the missus really enjoys the job and the people she works with - second family for her - almost.

Fingers crossed for the courts!

16
The one at Letzipark still sells electronics.

17
I actually enjoy quite a lot Manor; they have excellent food in their supermarket, more so than Globus which is more expensive, and houseware and clothing too.

As another forumer said, it's understandable that they abandon the electronics market, it just doesn't give that much money.

Anyway, I'm pretty surprised by the number of stores they own, I thought Jumbo was an independent store and Athleticum was part of the migros conglomerate.

18
It in my view was a gross mistake of Carrefour to get into CH with a joint-venture with MANOR, as the business philosophies were too different. A recipe for disaster

NO, what got purchased by MANOR and opened under the VILAN brand was the former OSCAR WEBER. And Oscar Weber was the industrialist who purchased the place in the 1920ies (you school-time ? ) . No connection with Franz Carl Weber which for a while belonged to Denner before being sold to a French multinational

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Carl_Weber

The Bahnhof-end of the Bahnhofstrasse was much better in the 1960ies and 70ies but became too snobbish later. That C&A and H&M in conjunction with Globus brought it back to the people is right. The future of MANOR Zürich however looks uncertain. I mean, they struggle about ONE year, TWO yesrs, FIVE years, but obvious is that they have to leave. Rather typical for the mice NOT to tackle the matter positively but to fight about a few years.

OBER, in the 50ies and 60ies one of the THREE in Zürich (Jelmoli-Globus-Ober) already in the 70ies while still existing became history and after its closure faded into history. Regrettable but fact is that MANOR-ZüRICH may become history also, as the Bernese business philosophy possibly cannot be sustained in Zürich. And as the market-place of Zürich is hardly more aggressive than the places in Milano, München and Paris, it may by "signs on the wall in the palace of Salmanassar II" for MANOR overall

no no no ... Sihlporte or Talacker would be excellent and might re-shape the business-map of Zürich. Both areas were much better placed in the 60ies and 70ies and even into the 80ies but then went downhill.

19
Was it a disaster? I thought they were doing ok as in "profitable"... but "ok" was simply not enough for Carrefour who at the same time made insane ROIs in China... so they wanted to pull out of Switzerland to use the cash to invest in better markets.

20
You answered your own question!

There is no way a store paying Bahnhofstrasse rents/leases can complete with the likes of out-of-town electronic mega stores...