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The 39 remaining Belgian toy stores of Bart Smit have been acquired by Maxi Toys, and will undergo a re-branding to the Maxi Toys brand. They are largely located in areas where the chain is not yet active.
Continuity guaranteed
For Maxi Toys, this means a useful and complementary addition to its store network and the strengthening of its brand, the chain says in a press release. For Bart Smit (just like its new owner a former part of the Blokker Holding) the acquisition guarantees not only the continuity of the stores and the retention of many jobs, but also a new future within a strong performing international group: the Portuguese investment fund Green Swan, owner of Maxi Toys, recently also acquired the Spanish and Portuguese activities of the American retailer Toys ‘R’ Us.
According to Alain Hellebaut, CEO of Maxi Toys, everyone in this transaction wins: “For the Bart Smit toy stores and employees, for the Bart Smit customers and suppliers, and for the Maxi Toys operations, this is a win/win/win. Thanks to this takeover, we will be able to achieve national coverage in Belgium and become equally effective in all areas, in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels. With a focus on customer experience, toys and multimedia, service, innovation and digitisation, we will offer our customers an innovative and future-oriented concept.”
Maxi Toys has stores in Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Switzerland. The retailer will ensure the continuity of the operations, and very quickly launch the new website maxitoys.be in order to step up and accelerate digitisation of the Bart Smit stores.
