Blokker

Belgian outlet chain Mega World is bankrupt: after the Court of Appeal decided on Monday morning that the retailer would not be protected against creditors, there was no other way out. 650 jobs will be lost.

Mega World, the retailer that took over Blokker in Belgium, is looking for protection against creditors but has no rescue plan at all. The trade unions demand a special administrator, employees are on strike.

Investors seem to be very interested in department store chain Hema: American investment fund Flacks Group is presenting itself as a potential buyer. The fund is also looking at other chains in the Benelux.

A meeting between the new owner of Blokker, Dirk Bron, and the trade unions has not resolved much. The new owner repeated his promises and played down his past (and possible future) convictions, the trade unions promise not to strike for now but are not reassured either.

An enigma, that is the man who just bought Blokker's Belgium branch and wants to turn it into a discounter. We tried to shed some light on the notoriously reclusive Mega World owner.

Next Thursday will be an all-important day for the Belgian branch of Dutch chain Blokker. The trade unions fear the announcement of new store closings, or an even worse fate for the chain...

Dutch retailer Blokker has once again incurred substantial losses, and turnover almost halved. Still, its CEO sees "improvements" - and important issues with its online and Belgian activities.