LThe Intell company, which operates the Filigranes bookstores, requested on Wednesday the opening of a transfer procedure under judicial authority, reports the French-speaking business court in Brussels. It is looking for one or more projects to take over its activities and personnel.
Located in Etterbeek, Ixelles and Knokke, the Filigranes bookstores are experiencing structural difficulties linked to the crisis in the book sector. The restructuring of the company has also not allowed it to restore financial balance due to low margins and increasing costs, among other things. Losses exceeded one million euros last year.
The company also reports mobility problems since access to the main bookstore in Etterbeek has become more complicated. It is considering moving to a new location in the capital.
Intell is now looking for buyers and will be able to present any potential candidate files to the court after a requested four-month suspension period.
The company has undergone two restructuring plans and significant management changes in a year and a half. In 2022, Filigranes employees submitted a request for formal psychosocial intervention of a mainly collective nature, reporting harassment and problems concerning well-being at work. The bookstore’s founder, Marc Filipson, had taken a step back. Véronique Croisé has since been appointed Managing Director of Filigranes.
