Failed acquisitions, director conduct, and 123inkt’s post-bankruptcy move under scrutiny.
The Amsterdam Court of Appeal has ordered an independent investigation into the management of Office Centre, the well-known Dutch office supplies retailer that collapsed into bankruptcy in 2022. The inquiry will focus on the conduct of former owners Frans Davelaar and Goswin Fijen, who acquired the business from Staples in 2017.
At the heart of the case is a ruling handed down in March 2025 (ECLI:NL:GHAMS:2025:433), which upheld claims against two indirect directors linked to failed acquisitions in the sector. The court found they had breached their duties and allowed the request for further investigation into their management.
From Staples to bankruptcy
Davelaar and Fijen purchased Office Centre from Staples, acquiring 39 stores, 550 employees, and turnover of around €80 million. In 2019, they expanded further by acquiring Staples Germany for over €13 million. But by 2020 and 2021, Office Centre was losing money – €19 million in 2020 and a further €15 million in 2021 – as turnover fell sharply.
In June 2021, they sold the business to investment firm Standard Investment for €1. Standard Investment agreed to inject €6 million. At the time, Office Centre had around €18 million in cash. Less than a year later, in March 2022, the company filed for bankruptcy.
123inkt steps in
In the aftermath, 123inkt’s parent company, Digital Revolution B.V., acquired parts of the failed business. This included several stores and the online platform. The move signalled a major step for 123inkt into the bricks-and-mortar office supplies space and added a new chapter to the Office Centre story.
Curator calls for investigation
The court acted on the request of Rinke Dulack, the court-appointed curator in the bankruptcy case. In the Dutch system, a curator is similar to a trustee. They are responsible for recovering value for creditors, investigating company failures, and taking legal action where appropriate.
Dulack raised concerns about the former directors’ actions, including the lack of a clear business strategy, the high-risk purchase of the German business, and the failure to properly inform creditors and banks such as ABN AMRO.
The directors argue that they were not consulted during the process. Davelaar told Dutch media: “There has never been any contact with us.”
Implications for the sector
The ruling and the subsequent investigation will be watched closely across the office supplies and imaging sector. It highlights the risks of expansion without solid foundations, and the personal liabilities that can arise from informal governance structures.
It also confirms that failed businesses can still offer opportunity: 123inkt’s acquisition of Office Centre’s assets shows how post-bankruptcy recovery can reshape the market.
Editor’s note: Parts of this article are based on public court documents and reporting by Kantoornet.nl. We used AI tools to assist with translation and summarisation of official documents. A human editor in our News Team reviewed and verified the final content for accuracy and clarity.
