Several Match & Smatch stores in Belgium are at risk of closing as they struggle to find new owners, a newspaper has revealed. Berga News agency.
Last September, Colruyt Group acquired 57 Match and Smatch stores from Louis Delhaize Group for an undisclosed amount.
Of the 27 stores not acquired by Colruyt, 19 will close between mid-January and March, affecting 163 employees, according to the report.
Stores at risk of closure include Match stores in Kneselare, Kreisbergen, Worsmünster and Mouscron, as well as in Kuesmes, Gemmappes, Hartelt, Mechelen, Stenbelt, Muerbeke, Asenede, Zulte, Tienen, Jodwani and Daleerik. , Maldegem and Exalde Smatch stores. Calken, Zeffeneken.
new owner
Seven other stores in the Carrefour, Delhaize and Intermarché franchises (Binche, Fleurus, Kessel Loh, Ruse, Sint-Lambrecht-Worwe, Thurin and Seel) have found new owners, saving 150 jobs.
Meanwhile, negotiations continue for one Match store in Beaumont, but the fate of its logistics and support services and 337 employees remains uncertain.
The decision to close came after attempts to find new buyers for the remaining stores following the acquisition of Colruyt failed.
Despite the closure, management claims around 1,150 jobs were saved by moving the store to the new banner, according to the report.
Colruyt said the Match and Smatch stores it acquired are a geographic complement to its current food retail network.
The retailer aims to ensure a smooth transition over the coming months and make the acquired stores economically and sustainably profitable based on its known store formula.
Evaluate each store based on its size, local market, and customer needs to determine the appropriate business format.