Belgian bankruptcy drags Casa Netherlands down

After Casa‘s main operations (in Belgium) went bankrupt last month, the other branches are falling like dominoes. Bankruptcy is now also looming for the eighteen stores in the Netherlands, where the employees are still waiting for their wages, and the French branch is feeling the heat as well.

Wages not paid

It is not surprising that the Dutch branch of Casa International is now facing difficulties: after its Belgian parent company was declared bankrupt on 6 March, the Belgian stores, the webshop, the head office and the distribution centre in Olen remained closed. As a result, the retailer’s foreign stores are no longer being supplied.

The eighteen remaining Dutch stores are part of a different company and have remained open until now, but they are gradually running out of stock. In addition, IT systems are partially no longer working and employees have not received their wages. Trade union AVV wants to start a wage claim case if the salaries are not transferred within three days, NRC reports.

Last week, Casa’s French subsidiary, which has 143 stores and 600 employees, already filed for a judicial reorganisation. Some fellow retailers are said to be interested in a partial or full takeover. The home decoration chain is also active in Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.