Blokker reopens 40 stores in the Netherlands after bankruptcy

Dutch retail chain Blokker has reopened nearly 40 existing stores and launched 12 new locations. The stores selling household goods were close to being shut down for good last year, when the company was declared bankrupt, but now Blokker is making a comeback. 

New Blokker stores open in 12 locations in the Netherlands

Before Blokker went bankrupt in November 2024, it had around 400 stores across the Netherlands. Now, the household goods chain, founded in 1896, has just under 40 stores left, along with 12 new ones that have been opened.

On June 18, new Blokker stores opened their doors for the first time in various Dutch municipalities, including two in Amsterdam and one in Den Bosch, to the delight of many shoppers. "I missed Blokker," one shopper told NOS. "I always liked coming here," said another. 

Dutch chain Blokker gets a second chance

The new chain boss, Roland Palmer, is a nephew of the founders Ad and Jaap Blokker. Debts had built up over the years due to COVID, combined with low turnover from competition chains. "We can't turn back the clock, but we now have a chance to put the stores back on the map with a clean slate," Palmer told NOS.

To ensure the best chance of success, stores are only being opened in places where the chain was already doing well before the bankruptcy. While the chain is known for household items such as cleaning supplies, cookware and small electrical appliances, the new stores will also have “scented sticks and steamers for the younger generation that no longer irons.”

According to Palmer, Blokker does not need investors and is financially stable for the coming period. “The most important motivation is that Blokker belongs in the Dutch shopping streets."