This makes sad reading
![Sad :(](http://www.playmofriends.com/forum/Smileys/classic/sad.gif)
From an article of the Business Insider
https://www.businessinsider.de/wirtschaft/kuendigungen-abmahnwellen-psychodruck-wie-der-deutsche-spielzeughersteller-playmobil-in-die-krise-geraet-b/"According to Manager Magazin, Albert herself said in an internal meeting that Playmobil was no longer really relevant to consumers."
Albert and her management team are making themselves unpopular not only among consumers, but also internally. “Dismissals, waves of warnings, psychological pressure and transfers (…) are the order of the day,” said IG Metall operations manager Bianka Möller to Manager Magazin. There is “a climate of fear”.
Many former employees and managers, such as head of entertainment Christine Brand, head of human resources Cordula Glatthaar and head of technology Robert Benker, quit after Albert took over or were replaced. Albert now alone determines the important decisions and the course of the company."
Well dear Mrs Albert, Playmobil is still relevant to me and I will always cherish these little figures and what imagination and creativity can make of them
![Love :love:](http://www.playmofriends.com/forum/Smileys/classic/love.gif)
The crisis at Playmobil unknown to me until this topic was raised appears to be nothing new since reports of it date as far back as 2019 with many analysts saying that the global flop of the Playmobil movie did not help, that the company is losing important shares in the toy market and its recent releases did not meet the expected demand or success. Playmobil has done what so many global companies do in times of crisis with hiring global management consulting firms such as McKinsey & Co to run an audit in March resulting in drastic measures in order to keep the company afloat and viable but at the cost of 700 employees being laid off just a few months away from Christmas and at the start of what is expected to be a harsh winter for many of us.
My take on this is that although Playmobil is still one of the most beloved, trusted and recognisable brand in the world with kids and parents alike, it just isn't a global player in the toy market anymore but still can be creative in the years to come on a "smaller" scale and maybe this toxic corporate environment that so many business publications refer to over the years will diminish as I believe that the immense pressure of trying desperately to remain at the top of the game ultimately proved to be a failure both with customers and long term faithful employees who walked out or were dismissed over recent years.