The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Retail Retail Trade, Except Of Motor Vehicles And Motorcycles Retail Sale Of Other Household Equipment In Specialised Stores 47.5 - Retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores
1,900 jobs Number of planned job losses
Announcement Date
16 May 2017
Employment effect (start)
Foreseen end date
16 May 2019
Description
The Dutch family group Blokker Holding has announced a major restructuring of its retail formulae for household goods chains Blokker and Marskramer resulting in the loss of 1,900 full-time jobs over the next two years. Jobs will be lost among retail staff in around 100 Blokker stores (1,160 jobs) and 100 Marskramer stores (650 jobs) which are to be closed, as well as among warehousing staff in a distribution facility in Mijdrecht (West Netherlands) (90 jobs) which will also be closed.
Blokker Holding has experienced enduring losses since 2014, purportedly having responded too late to competition from low-cost chains such as Action and e-commerce. Despite the efforts to modernise its original retail formula Blokker in 2016, restructuring among its formulae Blokker, Xenos, and Cook&Co, and restructuring among its Blokker stores in Belgium, it has now decided not only to more extensively restructure, but also to sell all its formulae except Blokker. The formulae up for sale consisting of Leen Bakker, Intertoys, Maxi Toys, Xenos and Big Bazar, employ nearly 13,500 persons and Blokker Holding hopes to sell them intact, although whether this can be achieved is uncertain at the moment.
The unions have emphasised the far-reaching consequences for those losing their jobs and disappointment at the failure of Blokker Holding's earlier efforts to improve business. A redundancy plan was already in place because of earlier restructuring and is valid until 1 June 2018.
Blokker was founded in 1896 and became a multinational mainly through acquisitions, with seven retail formulae in eight countries employing some 21,000 people by early 2017.
Sources
16 May 2017: fd.nl
16 May 2017: Nos.nl
16 May 2017: Nos.nl
8 May 2017: rtvrondevenen.nl
Citation
Eurofound (2017), Blokker Holding, Internal restructuring in Netherlands, factsheet number 90995, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/90995.
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