Bargain chain Big Bazar falls seriously behind on rent at several locations
Bargain retail chain Big Bazar has incurred severe rent arrears for several of its locations, RTL Nieuws reports based on a court ruling and conversations with landlords. Last week, the court in Alkmaar ordered Big Bazar to pay over 89,000 euros in overdue rent and vacate two buildings in Schagen and Wormer within a month.
Property owner Hoorne Vastgoed took Big Bazar to court for overdue rent on the above two properties. According to the company, the bargain chain “systematically does not pay, does not pay in full, or pays too late” and incurred payment arrears for several months. The landlord wouldn’t comment to RTL about the case, saying it does not make statements about its customers.
Renpart Vastgoed, which rents locations to Big Bazar in Vlaardingen an ‘s-Gravenzande, is also struggling to get the bargain chain to pay its rent. “Big Bazar is having a hard time,” a spokesperson for Renpart Vastgoed told the broadcaster. “We are doing everything possible to collect the rent and solve the problems.” The real estate company is considering legal action, the spokesperson said.
Big Bazar would not respond to the broadcaster’s email questions and couldn’t be reached by phone, RTL reported.
Mirage Retail, Blokker’s parent company, sold Big Bazar to the Frisian entrepreneur Heerke Kooistra and his company BB-Retail in 2021. According to the Big Bazar website, it employs 1,600 people in about 122 stores and at its office in Diemen.
Big Bazar’s financial situation is unclear because the company hasn’t yet filed figures with the Chamber of Commerce, according to RTL.
