Belgian businessman Mehmet Sandurac, known for the concept store Mayfair, won the bid on Monday to take over the activities of Filigranes bookstores, their founder Mark Filipson told Belga, confirming information from La Libre.
The bookstore on Avenue des Arts in Brussels will move to Boulevard de Waterloo, next to the concept store, while the one on Avenue Louis Lepoutre will remain at its current location.
Last Wednesday, two bids for taking over Filigranes were presented to the French-speaking commercial court of Brussels. One bid came from a group of investors including former Delhaize CEO Denis Knoops, and the other from Mehmet Sandurac. A significant 80% of the staff supported Sandurac’s offer, which was deemed "much more concrete".
Intell, the company operating Filigranes bookstores, was seeking new owners following a procedure transfer request.
In addition to structural problems related to the crisis in the bookstore sector and rising costs, which led to a loss of €1 million in 2023, Intell went through two restructuring plans and significant management changes in less than two years.
In 2022, employees filed a formal psychosocial intervention request, citing harassment and workplace well-being issues.
Founder Mark Filipson stepped aside, and Véronique Croisé was subsequently appointed as the general manager of Filigranes.
