Restocks stopped paying its sneaker sellers for months — then went bankrupt

Founded in 2019 in Breda, in the south of the Netherlands, Restocks grew into one of Europe's most-used resale marketplaces for sneakers and streetwear, operating across the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain, with France making up about a tenth of its activity. Sellers consigned pairs to the platform, which authenticated them and held the proceeds until payout.

By August 2023, reporting by the Italian sneaker outlet Eyeson said Restocks had stopped paying its sellers, and complaints had been piling up for months while the company stayed silent. Mid-crisis, the platform tried to buy the struggling French rival Kikikickz for several million euros — a deal that never completed as Restocks' own position collapsed.

On November 15, 2023, bankruptcy was officially filed; the Rotterdam court declared the company bankrupt in mid-November. Unpaid sellers were left hoping for whatever a liquidation would return, while Restocks emailed customers who had pairs in consignment promising that stock held in its warehouse would be sent back to its owners. The company never said when — or whether — the missing payouts would come.