The Dutch company Sligro has been granted permission to take over the metro sites. This was decided by the Commercial Court of Antwerp. The wholesaler offered 47 million euros for all branches except those in Antwerp North.
Branch staff can come to Sligro. The Dutch wholesaler has also offered to take over the Antwerp-Nord site if the employees so wish. The offer is also valid for 100 support center employees. Sligro wants to take over stock in stores at 75 percent of the net purchase value.
Horeca Van Zon bid for the Metro headquarters in Evergem in East Flanders. This is equivalent to 400,000 euros. Sligro has already made it known that it is willing not to take over that site.
The 22nd Chamber of the Antwerp Corporate Court on Wednesday authorized the court representatives of Makro Cash & Carry Belgium to accept the combined offers and to sell the parts.
The management of Makro Cash & Carry also had made an offer on Metro stores, but which barely amounted to 110,000 euros and, according to the court, did not meet the conditions.
For the six Makro stores only one offer had come in, but it had already been rejected. What will happen now with Makro, which employs more than 1,200 people, is very uncertain. The group was granted legal protection from creditors in September, until mid-January. If no buyer is found, bankruptcy is imminent.
