Two prospective buyers are bidding to take over the activities of bookseller Filigranes with rival offers presented on Wednesday morning at the French-Speaking Business Court in Brussels.
One offer comes from a group of investors that includes former Delhaize CEO Denis Knoops, while the other bid is from Belgian businessman Mehmet Sandurac, known for the concept store Mayfair.
Intell, which operates three Filigranes bookstores on Arts Avenue in Etterbeek, Ixelles, and Knokke, has struggled in recent years, attributing business challenges to a crisis in the book industry as well as rising costs.
The company reported a loss of €1 million in 2023, and has undergone two restructuring plans and significant management changes within less than two years.
Following a request for a transfer procedure, Intell has been searching for new owners. Both bids revealed at the business court on Wednesday aim to maintain the approximately 45 jobs across the three stores, and were presented to staff last week.
"The future of Filigranes is secure and I am relieved," said founder Marc Filipson.
"Each prospective buyer has their own strengths, and whichever is chosen, I am sure they will enjoy perpetuating the bookshops with the help of the Filigranes teams," he said.
In 2022, Filigranes employees filed a joint harassment complaint. The workers alleged that there was a culture of harassment and poor management at the company. They also directly accused Marc Filipson of sexual and psychological harassment.
Filipson stepped aside at that time, and Véronique Croisé was subsequently appointed as the general manager of Filigranes.
