Bargain Chain Miniso’s Dutch Stores Could Be Up for Grabs After Blokker Bankruptcy

Three creditors of Mirage Retail Group, the bankrupt parent of bankrupt household chain Blokker, have claimed the stores of retail chain Minso Nederland, according to bankruptcy administrator Job van Hooff, NL Times reported. Miniso is the only part of the group that is not yet bankrupt, and may be able to generate money for the creditors. Miniso is a Chinese retail formula that has grown to over 7,000 branches worldwide since its foundation in 2023. The retail formula was introduced in the Netherlands five years ago under Mirage Retail Group as the franchisee.
Netherlands
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Scania Agrees to Buy Northvolt’s Heavy Industry Battery Business

Truck maker Scania agreed to buy Northvolt’s heavy industry business, as the battery maker continues to work through a restructuring process, the Wall Street Journal reported. “This acquisition will provide access to a highly skilled and experienced team and a strong portfolio of battery systems built in Gdansk for industrial segments, such as construction and mining, complementing Scania’s current customer offering,” a Scania spokesperson said.
Sweden
United States
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Construction Worst-Hit U.K. Sector for Insolvency as Debt Burden Bites

Construction was the worst-hit sector for insolvencies in the year to December 2024, new Insolvency Service figures show, Construction News reported. Some 4,032 building businesses become insolvent, accounting for 17 per cent of all such cases in England and Wales. The next worst-affected sectors were wholesale and retail (3,572), and accommodation and foodservice (3,464). Kelly Boorman, head of construction at accountancy firm RSM UK, said that the figures reflected the amount of debt burden and distress in the building supply chain.
United Kingdom
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No Change in the Number of Netherlands Bankruptcies in January Compared to December

The number of bankruptcies in the Netherlands stayed at the same level in January as it was in the previous month when corrected for court hearing days, NLTimes.com reported. Statistics Netherlands reported that the number of bankruptcies was below the same time as last year. There was a significant increase in the number of bankruptcies in 2024. Statistics Netherlands reported last month that almost 4,300 companies were declared bankrupt. That is an increase of 30 percent compared to 2023. Monthly figures can fluctuate.
Netherlands
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Pret A Manger Hit with Winding up Petition by Water Company

Sandwich stalwart Pret A Manger has been hit with a winding up petition by a business water supplier over unpaid debts, City AM reported. According to the High Court filing system, Pret A Manger (Europe), a subsidiary of Pret Intermediate Company, has been named in a winding up petition by Castle Water, an independent business water supplier. The case was filed by the water company’s lawyers at Addleshaw Goddard on Thursday, with the Official Receiver noted as a third party. City AM understands that this is in regard to uncontested debt.
United Kingdom
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