Furniture

Next month, Dutch retailer Blokker wants to evaluate its Belgian stores. The chain is haemorrhaging money and that may well cause another series of store closings, relatively shortly after the previous decommissioning round in 2017.

Dutch bed chain Beter Bed has closed new financing agreements with its banks, after the company was able to significantly reduce its debts. One of the major factors in the debt reduction was the divestment of its German subsidiary, Matratzen Concord.

Belgian fashion group FNG has completed the acquisition of Scandinavian e-commerce player Ellos. For the Belgian company, the acquisition predominantly means access to a new market: home decoration.

Scandinavian furniture retailer Jysk is continuing its expansion and achieved a new record turnover last year. However, profit was lower than a year earlier.

Chaotic scenes took place in all of Ikea's Belgian stores this morning. This was prompted by the launch of the new Markerad collection, designed by Virgil Abloh, the artistic director for Louis Vuitton.

Their first Belgian store has only just opened, but already French home decoration discounter Centrakor aims for a nationwide expansion. CEO Olivier Rondolotto is already entirely convinced: a dozen stores in the French speaking part of Belgium is only the precursor to a conquest of Flanders.

Dutch bed retailer Beter Bed has succeeded in offloading its German subsidiary, Matratzen Concord, to investor Magical Honour. The latter is paying five million euros for the controversial mattress retailer and will invest just as much in Beter Bed Holding itself.