The bankruptcy of Blokker and its warehouse are delivering Eric Kooistra "a very good year". The Frisian buyer managed to get his hands on a substantial stock of items destined for the household chain. He is now a 'regular supplier' to the more than 40 franchisees that are still open and also hopes to supply new Blokker shops with items.

Kooistra says this in conversation with RTL Z. 

Last December, just after the household chain went bankrupt, Kooistra bought more than 200 sea containers packed with Blokker articles for 'a bargain'. With these, the entrepreneur now partly supplies the remaining Blokker shops of franchisees.

The remaining shops belong to independent entrepreneurs, who carry Blokker's product range and pay to use the name. These shops were outside the bankruptcy, but ended up with no parent company and no central supply to sit.

"We made a deal with the franchisees, they order online from us and we deliver the stuff," says Kooistra, who jumped into the gap. He says he fills about 30 per cent of the shelves, with things like baking tins and case sets and candles, with the rest coming from parties such as Tefal or Brabantia.

Still ahead

The entrepreneur 'specially' set up his business in Friesland as a distribution centre, and now handles much of the supply of the shops himself. "Lean and mean," says Kooistra. He and his employees drive pallets of stuff to the shops every day, only the far corners of the country are done by transporters.

"For the time being, we can move on," Kooistra says of the stock of stuff he still has to sell to shops. Those sea containers full of stuff, which are now in three different warehouses, are not empty yet. He is also aiming for more, and new, business with Blokker.

Dining with Palmer

After all, Kooistra said yesterday he had dinner with Roland Palmer, the scion of the Blokker family who wants to continue with the chain, and who bought the brand name and online shop for 1 million euros after the bankruptcy. Palmer wants to work with franchisees and open new Blokker shops. 

"And connect to what we are doing. If our stuff runs out, he takes over the stocking and importing again." 

So isn't Kooistra in Palmer's crosshairs? On the contrary, the Frisian entrepreneur sees opportunities: "Palmer wants to build its own chain, with its own warehouse," he says. But if we are allowed to help build that, it will be a long-term gain for us. In other words, Kooistra hopes to get a piece of the trade with the new shops.

When they will arrive? Palmer himself could not yet be reached for comment. However, Kooistra predicts that "dozens" of new shops will spring up before the summer. Meanwhile, in financial terms, his year already can't fail: 2025 is a year of profit, according to Kooistra, who does not go into details. "Those who want healthy business have to be flexible," he said.