Court gives Bruna and Read Shop owner Audax breathing space
The district court in Breda has granted Audax, the parent company of the Bruna and Read Shop stores, a pause in paying its debts, which are put at around €9m, just before the holiday season.
i
Illustrative photo: G.Lanting / CC BY-SA 4.0
The district court in Breda has given Audax, the publishing and retail group behind Bruna and Read Shop, a breathing space in paying its debts. The court declared a cooling-off period (afkoelingsperiode) on Friday.
The company's debts are put at around €9m.
Audax is in a leadership crisis at the top of the company, with a board crisis under way. The ruling comes with the holiday season approaching.
The cooling-off period is meant to give Audax time to reach a deal with creditors and avert bankruptcy. Across the Netherlands, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) counted 314 bankruptcies declared in September 2026, the latest month. Since October 2023, monthly counts have ranged from 212 in October 2025 to 403 in July 2024.
Monthly bankruptcies have stayed between 212 and 403 since late 2023
Bankruptcies declared per month · Oct 2023–Sep 2026
Monthly bankruptcies have stayed between 212 and 403 since late 2023 (bankruptcies declared per month). From 282 in Oct 2023 to 314 in Sep 2026; highest 403 in Jul 2024, lowest 212 in Oct 2025. Source: CBS.
View data
| Item | Bankruptcies declared per month |
|---|---|
| Oct 2023 | 282 |
| Nov 2023 | 261 |
| Dec 2023 | 265 |
| Jan 2024 | 363 |
| Feb 2024 | 291 |
| Mar 2024 | 272 |
| Apr 2024 | 353 |
| May 2024 | 288 |
| Jun 2024 | 315 |
| Jul 2024 | 403 |
| Aug 2024 | 269 |
| Sep 2024 | 296 |
| Oct 2024 | 329 |
| Nov 2024 | 286 |
| Dec 2024 | 317 |
| Jan 2025 | 255 |
| Feb 2025 | 315 |
| Mar 2025 | 219 |
| Apr 2025 | 334 |
| May 2025 | 299 |
| Jun 2025 | 262 |
| Jul 2025 | 305 |
| Aug 2025 | 223 |
| Sep 2025 | 274 |
| Oct 2025 | 212 |
| Nov 2025 | 265 |
| Dec 2025 | 263 |
| Jan 2026 | 223 |
| Feb 2026 | 258 |
| Mar 2026 | 303 |
| Apr 2026 | 251 |
| May 2026 | 233 |
| Jun 2026 | 298 |
| Jul 2026 | 218 |
| Aug 2026 | 260 |
| Sep 2026 | 314 |
More on business and companies · crime and the courts