Intergamma, parent company of Gamma and Karwei, has been summoned to appear before the Enterprise Division this Thursday. The conflict between Intergamma and BG Retail has been going on for nearly two years.
Mismanagement?
According to anonymous sources, BG Retail – which is owned by the Bourrelier Group – will request the Enterprise Division to launch an inquest into possible mismanagement at Intergamma. More concretely, BG Retail claims to be disadvantaged compared to other shareholders and franchisees.
The origins of the conflict go back almost two years, when Intergamma decided to buy out CRH, an Irish company that ran 156 franchised outlets at the time. But Jean-Claude Bourrelier’s French group opposed the conditions of that buyout. In the end, Bourrelier had to capitulate because he only represented 18% of the shares. Since then, Intergamma has been a divided enterprise.
The DIY chain has 389 Gamma and Karwei stores in Belgium and the Netherlands, almost all of which are run by franchisees. BG Retail controls 75 of those outlets, making it the most important franchisee.