The Dutch retail chain for refurbished Apple products Leapp has found a buyer after going bankrupt in June this year. The company announced the bankruptcy due to financial problems. Ever since the bankruptcy, several companies showed interest in taking over the Apple reseller in the Netherlands.
Following the latest development, Nobel Capital, the new owner of Leapp will own a majority of the shares in the company. However, the exact amount that was invested remains undisclosed. Still, the founder of Leapp, Rogier van Camp will also be a shareholder.
The new investor is a majority stakeholder of Leapp and is optimistic that the company will witness a healthy future. The company will focus on the core activities in the Netherlands. The investor aims to make the company achieve a profit of €10 million to €100 million.
A Fresh Start
Out of the 17 branches the company operated in the Netherlands, 14 will be opened again. The stores in Apeldoorn, Tilburg and Almere will remain closed. Even the online webshop will be functional from July 26.
Leapp announced that it will shut operations in Germany, while the new investor is analysing if the chain has any future in Belgium or not. Eventually, 100 of its 170 employees will retain their jobs despite bankruptcy. The others have no job security for now.
Further, Leapp promises to respect the guarantees that the customers were enjoying from before the bankruptcy. However, this is applicable only in the Netherlands as the Belgian customers can no longer exchange or return their products and the company doesn’t offer any guarantee for them either.
Customers of Leapp in the Netherlands who had bought a refurbished iPhone from the company before the restart can count on the guarantee. If something happened to your device within its warranty period, the customers can claim it from the company.
Initially, Leapp started in 2011 as an online store. It grew substantially, thanks to the popularity of refurbished iPhones. Gradually, the chain opened 24 stores with the last one in Delft. It is a familiar store for those who prefer used Apple products. However, too much investment resulted in a quick loss and the company suffered €4.5 million in 2016 and went bankrupt in June 2018.
As Leapp is a popular Apple reseller in the Netherlands, the bankruptcy would have come as a shocking news to all its customers. Now, as the company has been relaunched due to the latest investment and the fact that a majority of the stores in the Netherlands have been opened again, the customers can be assured of guarantees.
Experts believe, the company has to be careful about its operations now after its relaunch. So, what do you think about the relaunch as a customer of Leapp? Do share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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