Retail chain Blokker is in serious financial difficulties. According to Quote, the retail chain is preparing for a moratorium on payments and that is generally a precursor to bankruptcy.
Blokker has 400 stores in the Netherlands with approximately 4,000 employees. Owner Mirage Retail Group has announced that it will inform all those involved on Monday about the state of affairs.
In May of this year, Blokker received a large loan (at a high interest rate) from the American investment company Gordon Brothers and at the end of last month the toy chain Intertoys was sold to the Belgian industry peer ToyChamp. Both actions apparently did not lead to enough financial space. In February of this year it was announced that Blokker was for sale, but this was averted by the loan from Gordon Brothers.
Blokker has Zaanse branches in Zaandam (Gedempte Gracht, Vermiljoenweg), Koog a/d Zaan (Molenwerf), Wormerveer (Marktplein) and Krommenie (Zuiderhoofdstraat).
Owner Michiel Witteveen’s Mirage Retail Group previously also tried to sell Big Bazar and BCC. Big Bazar went to the Frisian entrepreneur Heerke Kooistra, but nevertheless went under. BCC also went bankrupt in 2023. Mirage subsidiary Intertoys was sold last month.
Blokker has been making losses since 2014, which would have been two million euros in 2023. The Blokker family sold the company to Mirage Retail after 122 years.
By Piet Bakker. Sources: Quote, earlier news on The Hurricane. Photo: Hurricane (Blokker Gedempte Gracht, Zaandam).
