Online home store Fonq declared bankrupt, 100 jobs at risk

A court has declared online home retailer Fonq bankrupt, according to the company’s trustees on Friday. They are now exploring whether parts of the business, including Naduvi, can be relaunched. Around one hundred employees are at risk of losing their jobs.

Fonq had already received creditor protection earlier this month after failing for some time to become consistently profitable. Although a new management team worked on improvements over the past year, the company ultimately required additional investment, funding that could not be obtained.

The trustees say they are still working on various scenarios “that offer prospects for preserving activities and employment.” However, they do not wish to provide further details. They are calling on interested parties who see opportunities with Fonq to come forward.

Fonq and Naduvi’s websites remain accessible, but ordering and payments have been disabled. Customers who paid deposits, such as for furniture, are unlikely to recover their money, as they rank among the last creditors to be repaid in a bankruptcy, behind institutions like the Dutch Tax Authority and the UWV.

Founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Patrick Kerssemakers, Fonq was for several years part of the group behind online retailer Wehkamp before returning to independent operations. In 2024, it acquired Naduvi, whose founder, Itai Gross, subsequently took over as CEO of Fonq, a role he stepped down from in July last year.