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Jamjellie
Jamjellie
@jamjellie1689649665 · 11 May 2020
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Vroom & Dreesman

#Weetjenog THE GLORIOUS EARS OF V & D HAARLEM AND THE TRIESTE FINAL OF A COUNTRIAL Warehouse Group

On 31 December 2015, Vroom and Dreesmann went bankrupt, a department store group with 62 stores and operating around 250 La Place restaurants. That meant a job loss of more than 8,000 employees. Turnover in the autumn of textiles in particular was disappointing, as was the traditional biennial prize circus in March/April and September/October. Sun Capital, a private equity fund based in Florida, owner of V&D since the end of 2010, did not want to invest any more money in the department store group because of the years of loss, and claims to the trustees an amount of 80 million euros. The total indebtedness of V&D, initially estimated at EUR 124 million, could amount to EUR 200 million according to optimissts and EUR 360 million according to pessimists (1). In Haarlem, Vroom and Dreesmann had 2 stores, in the Grote Houtstraat/Verwulft and a branch in shopping mall Schalkwijk on the Rivièradreef. The monumental main building will be put into operation following an internal renovation by the Canadian retail group Hudson's Bay — expected in the third quarter of 2017.

The Sun/Vroom & Dreesmann, painting by Huib Luns

About 30 years ago I received from a former purchaser women's fabrics for V&D Noord-Holland, mainly abroad, Mr. Henri Soullié from Bennebroek (died in 1995), a now rare Commemorative edition on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Vroom & Dreesmann Haarlem, entitled; '1896-1946 50 years V&D Haarlem'. In the 40-page booklet with many illustrations, the Haarlem store company becomes weary during the first half century.

(1) According to the Board of Directors of Vroom and Dreesmann, the malaise in the retail and the 'indian summer' of 2015 resulted in such disappointing revenues that needed more rapid money to survive. Sun Capital would have already invested $212 million in the department store group at that time and refused to throw more money into a bottomless pit, according to them. Since 2010, V&D made losses, the red figures continued with a total estimated loss of approximately 135 million dollars. The management took into account a short-term liquidity problem, but in the long term a beating earnings model was expected. That time was not given to V&D and the bank's credit tap was stopped. In 2015, it is estimated that goods delivered for 35 million euros could not be paid. The result is known: suspension of payment, followed by bankruptcy, a failed relaunch [the last CEO said V&D had slipped out of his hands like an eel], a lifting sale, final closure of the department stores on 14 February 2016, resignation application for some thousands of disappointed employees working in the group for many years and, finally, probably, many years of work and reports from the administrators.

Previously, the company had experienced major financial difficulties in 1991 because V&D was temporarily unable to meet payment obligations and the staff were asked to surrender their salary. This ended well then and from 1997 the conglomerate Vendex was split into smaller parts, of which the Vroom & Dreesmann part was merged in 1999 with Koninklijke Bijenkorf Beheer (KBB), which also belonged to the HEMA. The V&D affiliated restaurant chain La Place, also sold to Sun European Partners in 2010, was taken over by supermarket chain Jumbo in 2016, insofar as it was not part of V&D establishments in January 2016.

The beginning: Willem Vroom (V) and Anton Dreesmann (D); founders of a family empire

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Maria
Muy interesante tu publicación
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Diana
Ik kwam er altijd graag. Kan het soms nog wel eens missen. Het gevoel er nog eens doorheen te lopen en te snuffelen
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marijke
vroeger kwam ik er heel graag. Maar ze veranderden niet in hun voordeel moet ik zeggen. Ik kwam er steeds minder. Evengoed zonde dat ze failliet moesten.
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