Following the bankruptcy of Carpetright UK yesterday, there was initially some doubt about the fate of the overseas shops. However, Managing Director Europe, Gideon Tienkamp, confirmed to RetailDetail that the 104 shops in Belgium and the Netherlands will remain open as normal.
New store concept
While the takeover by rival Tapi means that not even one in five of the carpet giant’s British shops will be saved and the other 218 will disappear, things are looking much better for the chain’s Benelux shops, Tienkamp confirms.
The Belgian and Dutch shops will continue their business activities unabated and there will be “no changes affecting them”. While it is correct that Tapi has acquired Carpetright’s brand rights, “a user agreement has been concluded which allows us to continue to use the Carpetright name and all other underlying brands as normal.”
In a press release, Carpetright EU (which groups the Belgian and Dutch branches) also points out that it is continuing to invest in the future. For instance, it aims to introduce both a new ERP system and a new shop concept next year.
