Vast majority of V&D stores still empty

It's been over six months since retail chain V&D was declared bankrupt and the vast majority of its stores are still empty. Only 26 of the 63 V&D properties found a new permanent tenant or have a good prospect of finding one soon, AD reports based on its own research. In 49 cities with V&D properties, the prospects of finding a permanent tenant for the empty buildings are not looking rosy, according to AD. In 33 mostly smaller cities, such as Alphen aan den Rij, Bergen op Zoomm Goes, Meppel and Zeist, there is no sight of a new tenant. In 22 cities the V&D property is completely empty. Sixteen cities found a temporary solutions to soften the blow of the building standing empty. In 6 V&D stores in Apeldoorn, Deventer, Ede and Vlaardingen, a temporary Hemarkt was opened - a HEMA discount store selling clothes, dishes and toys. In Alphen aan den Rijn and Beverwijk outlet WoonXL is the temporary tenant. Sittart rented out to a Toon Hermans exhibition. Alkmaar is letting entrepreneurs use the building for work space. And four other municipalities hired anti-squatting specialists Camelot. In 26 municipalities, mostly the larger cities, the prospects of a tenant seem good. On Monday Canada's Hudson's Bay Company announced another seven Dutch department stores. The Canadian company will soon be opening stores in Amersfoort, Den Bosch, The Hague, Enschede, Haarlem, Leiden and Zwolle. This is in addition to four previously announced branches in Amsterdam, Breda and Tilburg. The stores are set to open during the course of next year. Hudson's bay also plans to open stores in V&D buildings in ALmere, Amstelveen, Eindhoven, Maastricht and Rotterdam. Other chains are also jumping on the hole left by V&D. Outdoor megastore TopShelf is opening in V&D buildings in Arnhem, Groningen and Nijmegen. Fashion chain ZARA is renting in Leeuwarden and Zaandam. H&M is moving into the buildings in Deventer and Hellevoetsluis. Albert Heijn is moving into the V&D in Purmerent. And Primark will almost certainly rent the V&D in Turecht, Hoog Catharijne.