Hema: 2013 was a bad year

The Hema is cutting 65 jobs at its Amsterdam head office, the distribution centers and the bakeries, because of disappointing sales. Fewer people visit shopping centers and consumers are reluctant to spend money due to a lack of confidence in the economy, according to the company.

Hema, a Dutch department store with establishments in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, and France, saw the sales in the Dutch stores drop with more than 5 percent in the past year and the net profit even dropped with 10 percent. The Dutch Hema employs 9,000 people, but the company sees no other alternative than to cut the costs at this point. The Hema establishments abroad are doing better than their Dutch counterparts and are profitable. Hema opened 17 more stores abroad with 28 stores in France alone. The store plans to open more locations abroad and boost its internet sales.