Shuttered storefronts and rising vacancies are hitting the St. Gallen city centre as three prominent shops prepare to close their doors.
Retail Closures in St. Gallen
Store closures are reshaping the St. Gallen city centre following announcements from three businesses this week. On December 24, the Confiserie Sprüngli branch at Multergasse 21 opened for the last time. The Zurich-based confectionery chain said that the location failed to meet sales expectations.
“Daher haben wir die schwierige Entscheidung getroffen, die Filiale zu schliessen,” a spokesperson for Confiserie Sprüngli told Blick.
The closure ends nine years of operations for the shop in the Gallusstadt. Meanwhile, the household goods store WMF at Spitalgasse 1 will close at the end of February after nearly 25 years of business, according to StGallen24.ch. Just 100 metres away, Tiefenbacher Schuhe is closing its branch at Spisergasse 3. All three affected locations occupy prime pedestrian zones in the inner city.
High Rents and Changing Shopping Habits
Business owners point to declining foot traffic, expensive leases, and shifting consumer behavior as primary drivers behind the exits. Thomas Tiefenbacher, who runs the family shoe chain in its third generation, noted the deteriorating conditions in the shopping district.
“In den letzten Jahren haben die Frequenzen massiv nachgelassen,” Thomas Tiefenbacher (59) told Blick. He manages 23 branches nationwide from the company headquarters in Dietikon ZH.
“Allein in der Spisergasse hat es fünf bis sechs Leerstände, das ist natürlich unerfreulich,” Tiefenbacher said. He added that the high rent became unaffordable and talks with the landlord failed to yield an agreement. The company plans to conclude its operations in the city with a large clearance sale in mid-January.
Did You Know? The Confiserie Sprüngli branch at Multergasse 21 operated for nine years before closing its doors due to unmet sales expectations.
Debate Over City Support and Infrastructure
Ralph Bleuer, president of the Pro City St. Gallen business association, argues that the city lacks a fundamental image problem despite the retail exits. However, he acknowledges that simultaneous closures highlight the pressures facing the retail sector.
“Grundsätzlich haben wir in St. Gallen in Parkhäusern genug Platz,” Ralph Bleuer (63) told Blick. “Aber es fehlen Kurzzeit-Parkplätze im Zentrum für Leute, die nur kurz etwas einkaufen oder abholen möchten.”
Bleuer also criticized the city’s handling of pedestrian zones and street design. He pointed out that the Multergasse business association drafted a ready-to-use renovation project for the main shopping street at its own expense, which the city scheduled for realization only by 2031.
Future Outlook for the City Centre
Bleuer warns that the expansion of 30 km/h speed limits and a sole focus on encounter zones risk harming local commerce if the inner city loses its commercial vitality. He also pointed out that with each empty shop, there is less passing trade.
Answering Reader Questions About the Closure
Why is Sprüngli closing its St. Gallen branch?
The Zurich-based confectionery chain said that the location at Multergasse 21 failed to meet its sales expectations after nine years of operation.
How many empty stores are currently located in Spisergasse?
Thomas Tiefenbacher said that Spisergasse currently has five to six empty storefronts.
What specific changes does Pro City St. Gallen demand from the city?
Ralph Bleuer demands that pedestrian zones be made more attractive and that the renovation of the Multergasse be tackled much faster than the city’s planned realization date of 2031.