Belgian businessman saves Flemish stores from collapsing fashion chain Scotch & Soda

Businessman Alain Brouckaert takes over nine Flemish stores of the collapsed fashion chain Scotch & Soda. Who is the man known in the sector, but who acts discreetly outside it?

The fashion sector is in dire straits. Brands are going bankrupt, stores are closing, and sales are starting with deep discounts due to a bad spring. In April, Esprit Belgium went bankrupt, and in May, it was reported that the Bristol shoe chain filed for bankruptcy protection. Earlier this month, Scotch & Soda went bankrupt, and on Saturday it was announced that Duror Fashion Group, the Belgian company that owns fashion brands Terre Bleue, Gigue and Zilton, will close its books.

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There is now hope for the original Dutch clothing company Scotch & Soda. The Alain Broekaert Group (GAB) from Ternat has struck a deal with former owner Bluestar Alliance and curator to acquire nine of the original 21 Flemish stores. According to Broekaert, these are the best Belgian branches, located in Knokke, Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp and more. Last year, GAB acquired 26 French Scotch & Soda stores, but all but a few locations have since closed again.

It has been active for a long time.

However, Brockert hopes that the brand will grow again. In addition to the Belgian branches, the bankruptcy also affected Scotch & Soda stores in the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and Austria. He does not rule out expanding the number of Belgian stores and moving to the Netherlands. “But first we have to see that Scotch & Soda is doing well again in Belgium, then we can expand,” he tells De Tij.

Read also: Group Alain Broekaert acquires nine Scotch & Soda stores in Belgium

Scotch & Soda is in good hands at GAB, says retail professor Gino Van Ossel (Vlerick Business School). “It’s very discreet, but it’s been active for a long time and is well-known in the sector.” Broeckaert started out in 1986 as a distributor in Belgium for Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein. GAB later added brands such as Scotch & Soda, but also Karl Lagerfeld and Clarks.

Distributors used to be a key link between a fashion brand and its many, often independent, “multi-brand” stores. “But the rise of retail chains and e-commerce has made their role more difficult. Many brands now also opt for exclusive one-brand stores,” says Van Ossel. “Of course it would be difficult for GAB if Hilfiger opened an e-store in Belgium, but in the changing fashion world, Brockert has managed to keep his own store, and he is respected for that.”

Miami

The managers expect the Scotch & Soda brand to survive. Danny De Verney, director of the Plan Conceptstore in Heist-op-den-Berg, has already been in contact with GAB. “I will soon be able to receive the ordered clothes again and prepare for next year’s collection. I have already had a look at the showroom in Amsterdam and I am satisfied with what I have seen.

According to the manager, the popularity of Scotch & Soda clothing is due to the fact that it is high quality and colorful. “Each collection also has a clear theme. This year the designers went to Miami for inspiration. It is uncertain whether other brands such as Esprit and Terre Bleue will survive in the Flemish street scene. The bankruptcy did not come as a surprise, especially for Esprit. The clothing had been in bad shape for some time.