German shoe group Deichmann has acquired 43 of the over 100 stores of bankrupt shoe chain Brantano, saving 300 jobs in the process. The saved stores will join Deichmann’s Dutch vanHaren brand, which quadruples its presence in Belgium.
“Details” still to be decided
After a long struggle, Deichmann has emerged victorious and acquires just under half of the stores of bankrupt chain Brantano. The deal will become valid on 1 October, with still much to do in the mean time: the “details of the acquisition” are still to be decided, including which stores are among the 43 stores to be saved and how many jobs will be terminated.
According to projections by trade union ACV Puls, just 300 jobs would be saved in this scenario; vanHaren has only announced to “look into which employees can be integrated into the organisation” in the next couple of weeks. The union however is afraid that the majority of employees will not be allowed to make the transfer.
Currently, vanHaren has sixteen stores in Belgium: the acquisition means a huge leap forward and “an important step in the ambition” of the chain on the Belgian market. In its Dutch home market, vanHaren is considerably larger, totalling 143 stores. Its owner, Deichmann, is the self-proclaimed leader on the European shoe market, with a presence in 31 countries worldwide.
