Delhaize today announced the acquisition of the first fifteen supermarkets under its own management. In Brussels, there are four stores that will be transferred to independent buyers from October. The rest of the 128 Delhaize stores in Belgium will follow later.
Delhaize reports this on Monday morning. The supermarket chain announced earlier this year that it wants to have all its stores taken over by independents. This led to a social conflict that has been dragging on for months.
Five months later, the chain announces its first acquisitions. It concerns a total of fifteen stores, four of which are in Brussels: Delhaize Hankar, Mutsaard, Flagey and Boondael. They will open as independent stores from October and November.
“In the transition from supermarkets under own management to supermarkets operated by independent entrepreneurs, all employees of the supermarkets involved will retain their employment and their current wage and working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement 32bis,” Delhaize said. Each individual employee will also receive written confirmation of this from the management of Delhaize and the buyers. Employees’ overtime will be automatically transferred and they will also be able to count on a transition bonus of 1,500 euros.
Acquisition of all 128 stores
Of the fifteen acquirers, five independents already operate other Delhaize stores. Five buyers are already employees of the supermarket. “The new affiliated partners are all real entrepreneurs with a passion for Delhaize, the employees and the customers,” it sounds. “They were chosen after a thorough selection and with a view to ensuring a sustainable future for each supermarket.”
According to Delhaize, a buyer will be found for each of the 128 supermarkets. According to the supermarket chain, there is at least one candidate buyer for every store under its own management. “In the coming months, new announcements will be made at regular intervals about additional supermarkets that will make the transition to independent Delhaize supermarkets.”
This article is originally published on bruzz.be
