2023-08-15 11:14:35
The VanMoof website shows that the store in the German capital will be closed all week. The stores in other cities in Germany, such as Frankfurt, Cologne and Hanover, seem to be open. Nevertheless, the court has ruled that VanMoof must hand over its finances to the administrator.
The court in Amsterdam declared the Dutch branch of VanMoof bankrupt in July. The business units abroad were not included in this bankruptcy. It is still being investigated whether a restart is possible. Last week, the CEO of the American mobility.com, which was in the running for a takeover, reported that his offer had been rejected. Micromobility.com makes electric bicycles and scooters and is active in the United States and Europe.
VanMoof parts proved to be an Achilles heel
VanMoof went bankrupt following years of losing tens of millions of euros. In 2021 alone, the company ended with a loss of 77.8 million, on a turnover of 65.6 million euros. This was partly due to the high repair costs of the bicycles, which often showed defects. The e-bikes are full of VanMoof’s own parts, which also turned out to be a financial Achilles’ heel. Huge investments are required.
Since VanMoof was founded, 190,000 bicycles of the brand have been sold worldwide. In addition to the Netherlands and Germany, the bicycle company also has stores in the United States, Ireland, Great Britain, France, Austria, Japan and Denmark.
Dutch VanMoof customers can only pick up their bicycle from the shops in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht this week. VanMoof emphasizes on its website that the shops will then only be open for collecting bicycles. Staff helps with this, but can no longer carry out repairs. They also cannot answer questions regarding open orders or refunds.
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