The Casa Piocheur group, known by its green "Casa" sign, has permanently closed its 13 stores in Portugal. The decision was made on September 12th by the Sintra Judicial Court, one day after the creditors' meeting. More than 30 employees were affected by the closure, a direct consequence of the company's inability to find investors to turn the business around.

According to Jornal de Negócios, Casa ended 2024 with 98 employees and leaves debts to at least 110 creditors, ranging from store owners to cleaning companies and banks such as BCP and Millennium. The Portuguese subsidiary was declared insolvent on July 14th, after the request was filed on July 2nd, with the possibility of other creditors joining the process within 30 days.

To try to recover part of the debts, creditors decided to send the company's assets to liquidation. The auction, which began on September 16th and ends on September 30th, includes not only the stores' logistical assets – shelving, monitors, barcode readers, and video surveillance systems – but also the inventory of decorative items and furniture, available in stores such as Guimarães, Matosinhos, Aveiro, Lisbon, Portimão, and Loulé. The minimum lot price ranges from €16,000 at Mar Shopping in Loulé to €34,000 in Viana do Castelo, the publication states.

The closure of the Portuguese stores follows a wave of bankruptcies at the company across Europe. The company's headquarters in Belgium filed for bankruptcy on March 5th, 2025, suspending operations in the country, while France and Luxembourg had already closed stores over the summer. In an official statement, the group highlighted: "As a result, all activities have been suspended and we are (temporarily) closing our online store and stores in Belgium," thanking customers for their trust over more than four decades.

According to Negócios, Casa's financial figures in Portugal demonstrate the deterioration of the situation that led to insolvency: in 2024, it recorded net losses of €1.6 million, a 1,312% increase compared to the previous year, while sales fell to €9 million and adjusted EBITDA fell 348% to -€1.4 million.

Increasing competition from brands such as Espaço Casa, Gato Preto, Hôma, Ikea, and Conforama, as well as digital platforms such as Temu and AliExpress, has reportedly worsened the group's situation.