De Slegte

De Slegte is a bookstore chain with roots in Rotterdam and operations in the Netherlands and Belgium. Its business combines the sale and purchase of new books, surplus and excess-stock titles, secondhand books, and study materials. This assortment has historically distinguished the company from conventional full-price booksellers: customers can browse discounted commercial titles, used books, remaindered stock, and educational material in the same stores, while also selling books back to the retailer. The business began in 1908 when Jan de Slegte, then working as a lamplighter in Rotterdam, started buying and selling books from a wagon as a sideline. As street lighting work became less important, bookselling became his principal occupation. In 1920 he opened his first permanent bookstore. The family remained closely involved as the operation expanded; Jan's son joined the business and sold books at street markets. During the twentieth century, De Slegte developed into a recognizable bookstore chain serving customers in the Netherlands and Flanders. A major transformation took place in the early 2010s. De Slegte operated a substantial secondhand-book network, while Selexyz was the public-facing brand of a larger Dutch bookstore group that included established city bookstores such as Donner in Rotterdam and Scheltema in Amsterdam. Selexyz's holding company entered bankruptcy proceedings in 2012 and its chain was acquired by the Dutch investment company ProCures. In 2013, the Selexyz operations and De Slegte were combined into a new company called Polare. ProCures held 60 percent of the combined company and the De Slegte family held 40 percent. The Polare name, introduced in June 2013, referred to Stella Polare, or the North Star, and was intended to suggest guidance for book buyers. The Polare experiment was short-lived. Dutch stores closed on 28 January 2014 while the company reassessed its strategy. Polare subsequently sought an extension of payment, but negotiations with banks and Centraal Boekhuis, the organization supplying Dutch bookstores, did not produce a viable rescue. Polare Nederland went bankrupt in 2014. The Belgian branches were bought back by the De Slegte family and returned to the De Slegte name. Several Dutch locations also reopened under earlier identities or at new locations. The restored De Slegte network has remained focused on specialist and value-oriented bookselling rather than a broad general-retail proposition alone. The chain's stores serve readers seeking lower-priced new books, used and collectible material, academic and study books, and opportunities to sell books. Reference material identified four Belgian branches—in Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven, and Mechelen—and three Dutch branches—in Amsterdam, Leiden, and Rotterdam—around 2020. The available material does not establish a more recent store count, ownership change, financial result, or corporate website, so those details remain unspecified.

De Slegte traces its origins to 1908, when Jan de Slegte began trading books from a wagon in Rotterdam. He was employed as a lamplighter and treated bookselling as a supplementary business. As the lamplighter occupation declined in importance, the book trade became his main livelihood. In 1920 he opened a permanent bookstore. His son later joined the enterprise and sold books through street-market activity, helping extend the family business beyond a single shop. Over the twentieth century, the company expanded into a chain serving the Netherlands and Flanders. Its commercial identity developed around buying and selling books rather than only selling newly published titles. De Slegte became associated with secondhand books, discounted books, surplus inventory, and study books. The model allowed the chain to address customers looking for lower prices, older or out-of-print material, and educational texts, while also accepting books from people wishing to sell or clear collections. The chain's later history became linked to the restructuring of Dutch bookselling. Boekhandels Groep Nederland, commonly known as BGN, operated a sizeable network of Dutch bookstores, including prominent local institutions such as Donner in Rotterdam and the Dominicanen bookstore in Maastricht. In 2006, BGN stores were rebranded under the Selexyz name while retaining individual store identifiers, creating combinations such as Selexyz Scheltema. Selexyz's holding company filed for bankruptcy in April 2012. Dutch investment company ProCures acquired the chain for €3.5 million, after which the stores initially continued to trade under the Selexyz identity. In 2013, the Selexyz operations were combined with De Slegte's 26-store secondhand-book chain. The resulting company was owned 60 percent by ProCures and 40 percent by the De Slegte family. The new Polare brand was introduced in June 2013. Its name was derived from Stella Polare, the North Star, and was presented as a metaphor for a guiding light for book buyers. The combination attempted to unite Selexyz's established general bookstores and city locations with De Slegte's value-oriented secondhand and surplus-book expertise. The combined structure proved unstable. On 28 January 2014, Polare closed all Dutch stores while management reassessed the company's strategic and financial position. On 7 February, Polare sought an extension of payment. Efforts to secure support from major banks and Centraal Boekhuis, the organization supplying Dutch bookstores, were unsuccessful. Centraal Boekhuis had already become involved in a dispute with Polare over overdue payments in late January, and its position effectively prevented the proposed rescue from succeeding. Polare Nederland subsequently went bankrupt in 2014. The collapse did not eliminate the De Slegte business. The Belgian branches continued under the De Slegte name after the De Slegte family bought them back from the Polare structure. Several Dutch stores also reopened under former names or in new locations. Around 2020, the continuing De Slegte network comprised four Belgian stores in Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven, and Mechelen, alongside three Dutch stores in Amsterdam, Leiden, and Rotterdam. The available reference material does not provide later expansion figures, detailed financial statements, a named current executive team, or a confirmed corporate website. De Slegte is therefore best understood as a surviving family-associated bookstore chain whose modern identity was shaped by the post-Polare restoration and by its specialization in discounted and secondhand books.

• 2014

  Polare Nederland collapses and De Slegte returns

  [1]De Slegteen.wikipedia.org

  Polare closes its Dutch stores, seeks an extension of payment, and later goes bankrupt. The Belgian branches return to the De Slegte name after being bought back by the family.

• 2013

  De Slegte and Selexyz combine as Polare

  [1]De Slegteen.wikipedia.org

  The two bookstore operations are brought together in a company owned 60 percent by ProCures and 40 percent by the De Slegte family.

• 2012

  Selexyz holding company enters bankruptcy proceedings

  [1]De Slegteen.wikipedia.org

  The Selexyz holding company files for bankruptcy and the chain is sold to ProCures for €3.5 million.

• 2006

  BGN stores adopt the Selexyz brand

  [1]De Slegteen.wikipedia.org

  Bookstores operated by Boekhandels Groep Nederland are rebranded under Selexyz while retaining individual store names.

• 1920

  First permanent bookstore opens

  [1]De Slegteen.wikipedia.org

  De Slegte opens its first permanent bookstore after bookselling becomes Jan de Slegte's principal occupation.

• 1908

  Jan de Slegte begins trading books

  [1]De Slegteen.wikipedia.org

  Jan de Slegte starts buying and selling books from a wagon in Rotterdam while working as a lamplighter.

A value-oriented bookstore chain combining discounted new and surplus stock with secondhand books and study materials, supported by a buy-and-sell retail model.

• Books

  Discounted new and surplus books

  De Slegte sells new books obtained as excess, surplus, or remaindered stock, giving customers access to published titles at reduced prices. This assortment is central to the chain's discount-oriented retail proposition and complements its secondhand inventory.

• Books · 1908

  Secondhand books

  Secondhand books are a defining part of De Slegte's historical business. Stores buy and resell used books across broad subject areas, offering customers lower-cost reading material and access to older, uncommon, or previously owned editions.

• Educational books

  Study books

  The chain sells study and academic books for students and other learners. These titles extend the assortment beyond general reading and fit the company's emphasis on affordable books, including used and discounted educational material.

• Retail service · 1908

  Book purchasing service

  De Slegte also buys books, enabling customers to sell individual books or larger collections. Purchased material can then enter the chain's secondhand inventory, linking the sourcing and retail sides of the business.

• 2014

  Restore the De Slegte identity in BelgiumStrategy

  Background

  Following the failure of Polare Nederland, the Belgian branches remained viable enough to continue operating but were no longer part of a functioning Polare network.

  Action taken

  The De Slegte family bought back the Belgian branches and changed them from Polare back to their original De Slegte names.

  Aftermath

  The restored network continued with branches in Belgium and later with several locations in the Netherlands.

  Source

• 2013

  Combine De Slegte and Selexyz under PolareM&A

  Background

  Selexyz had been acquired by ProCures after its holding company entered bankruptcy proceedings, while De Slegte operated a large secondhand-book network. The businesses were combined to create a broader bookstore company.

  Action taken

  The combined business adopted the Polare name in June 2013, with ProCures owning 60 percent and the De Slegte family owning 40 percent.

  Aftermath

  Polare closed its Dutch stores in January 2014 and Polare Nederland later went bankrupt. The Belgian branches were subsequently bought back by the De Slegte family and restored to the De Slegte brand.

  Source

1. 1De Slegteen.wikipedia.org