More than a year after the bankruptcy of Dutch household chain Blokker, almost 40% of its retail properties have yet to be repurposed. Only 20% of the former Blokker stores now house another household store.
Discounters took their place
When Blokker went bankrupt in November 2024, the chain still had 397 stores in the Netherlands. Of these, 148 are still vacant today, according to research by BNR based on data from consultancy firm Locatus. “Given the market conditions, this is a very good result,” says Jeroen Lokerse, CEO of real estate consultant Colliers. It is striking that only 81 properties now house a new household goods store.
Several properties are now home to a Blokker store again, as the chain relaunched in June 2025. Many Blokker franchisees have also retained their stores: 23 of them launched the new Allesz chain last November. Other properties have been filled by discounters, including Wibra, which took over 46 stores. Kruidvat, Normal, Takko Fashion, and vanHaren have also taken over locations.
