Bankruptcy looming for retailers Manfield, Dolcis & Scapino

Manfield, Dolcis and Scapino, among others, may be facing bankruptcy. Parent company Macintosh announced on Tuesday that it filed for postponement of payment, often a precursor for official bankruptcy, ANP reports. Macintosh is burdened by high debt and revenues were very disappointing this year, especially in recent weeks. "The application for postponement of payment is therefore the only option left", the company said. The court in Limburg is expected to rule on the application later on Tuesday. On Monday the company announced that it is seeking a buyer for the company as a whole or in part, but so far the search is without result. The company's board and a bankruptcy administrator will investigate whether a sale is still possible. "The current situation is very disappointing for all parties concerned and especially for our employees, suppliers, banks and shareholders, who loyally supported our company in these difficult times", said CEO Kurt Staelens. "We hope that significant parts of the Macintosh group can be retained through sale or some other solution." The suspension of payment does not apply to the individual stores and they will remain open as usual for the time being. End 2014 Macintosh employed some 10,461 people sharing 5,746 full-time jobs. The company is active in the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK with a total of 550 stores.