All Belgian Metros have found new owner

The saga of Metro Belgium’s demise is coming to an end, now that all outlets have found a new owner. The one in Antwerp North is acquired by Horeca Totaal, a company from Bruges that was one of the four original acquisition candidates for the whole chain.

No strangers

For the Bruges-based group, the takeover means the start of a major logistics operation: it has already had an Antwerp branch since 2021, but this would now be closed again in favour of the new site in Antwerp North. That should reopen this summer, the group says in a press release. The twenty employees should “consolidate our growth in the provinces of Antwerp and Limburg, but also in Brussels”, owner Roderick D’Hoore explained.

Last year, Dutch wholesaler Sligro had bid for ten of the eleven Metro stores in Belgium – but not the one in Antwerp, as it was too close to an existing Sligro store. In the end, Sligro transformed nine stores to Sligro-M, with the Ghent store being ceded to local hospitality suppliers Van Zon.

Today’s acquisition means that three of the four takeover candidates ended up getting a piece of Metro Belgium. The only one left empty-handed is, remarkably, former CEO Vincent Nolf.