The coronavirus has claimed its latest victim, as the owner of the retail chain M2 Shoes has declared bankruptcy. Martin Dostal claimed in his filing that his company’s debts were more than CZK 50 million. The company, MDV – Import, was apparently having difficulty paying its bills before the pandemic hit, so the lockdown period simply delivered the knockout blow. Some of the M2 Shoes outlets reopened when restrictions were lifted, reports Hospodarske noviny. “I don’t have any information about when the shops will be closed,” said a saleswoman in the chain’s store in the Fenix shopping center in Prague. In the court filing, Dostal writes that the reason for the company’s collapse were a combination of factors. “Especially the continuing fears of customers for their health and the reduced level of comfort while shopping that are the result of heightened hygienic measures.” HN warns that many smaller businesses like M2 Shoes were on the verge of collapse even before the Covid-19 crisis.
