Overview
GALERIA is Germany's largest remaining department store chain, with 83 stores in city centres across the country and an online shop at galeria.de. In October 2026 GALERIA filed for insolvency for the fourth time since 2020, so brands should follow its situation closely before committing to the channel.
Who is behind GALERIA
GALERIA is the successor of the former Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof. After its third insolvency in 2024, the company was taken over in August 2024 by the US investment firm NRDC and an investment company of entrepreneur Bernd Beetz, and it moved its headquarters from Essen to Düsseldorf. Nine of its 92 stores were closed at that time. In the financial year to September 2025, its 83 stores generated sales of more than EUR 2 billion, and GALERIA reported an operating profit for the first time in more than ten years. It also brought partners such as Decathlon and Lidl into some of its stores. GALERIA has about 12,000 employees.
The 2026 insolvency
In October 2026 GALERIA filed for insolvency again at the court in Düsseldorf, after failing to secure new funding. According to reports, its 2025/26 financial year ended with clearly lower sales, earnings and margins. The company said its 83 stores would keep operating for now, but it was not yet decided which stores might close. GALERIA is also trying to negotiate more flexible, turnover-based rents.
What this means for brands
- Existing partners should review open orders, payment terms and consignment stock with the insolvency proceedings in mind.
- New partners should wait for clarity on GALERIA's restructuring before investing in the channel.
- In the long term, a smaller GALERIA may still be relevant for fashion, beauty, home and gift brands that want city-centre visibility in Germany.
How eBrands looks at GALERIA
eBrands works with brands on marketplaces and retail channels across Europe and North America. If you want to find the right German retail and marketplace channels for your brand, we are happy to talk it through.
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