By helping others understand, we allow ourselves to condense a subject to its essence. In doing so, we achieve simplicity, the ultimate sophistication.
Governance
In 1998 the Buyck Family Advisory Office formally set its investment goals in real estate, to meet capital deployment objectives.
Advisory Office
Leveraging on collective insights, the Buyck Family Advisory Office forms a conflict-free expertise platform.
Investment expertise
An investment team benefiting from institutional investment, operational and strategy-consulting experience.
Generational Legacy in Business
Building a Future BY INveSTIng WIth iMPACT
RETAIL REAL ESTATE
From establishing the supermarkets in Flanders, Belgium, our real-estate expertise is deeply rooted.
The rationalization of Belgian distribution
Our history to this day remains deeply rooted in family-based entrepreneurship. In particular, during the post-war period, confronted with high investment costs, department stores rationalized their operations to maintain a sustainable position.
The various players sought to find commercial partnerships and decided to unite efforts and centralize the purchasing. In 1926 this gave rise to Sarma (Société Anonyme pour la Revente d’Articles de Masse).
This gave rise to the opportunity of opening the first retail location in Flanders, and contracting supply arrangements with Sarma. The Buyck family opened the first retail department store in Deerlijk, West-Flanders.
A BELGIAN SUCCESSFUL FORMULA BEING EMULATED
During the late 1940s and 1950s, retail department stores remained at the forefront of retail innovation. As a testament to this, it was only in 1957 that Delhaize Le Lion opened the first supermarket in Brussels.
Exponential growth IN BELGIUM
Whilst this success attracted players like J.C. Penney, which acquired control of Sarma in 1969, the Buyck family shifted from operating stores to owning and developing retail locations.
Significant growth was recorded, with store counts amounting to only 41 in 1961, which increased to 450 in the following decade. As a testament to the family’s insights, operators like Delhaize Le Lion (now Ahold Delhaize) and Grand Bazar (GB, now owned by Carrefour) soon became tenants.
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE
DRIVEN BY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN BELGIUM
DIVERSITY IN THE REAL ESTATE DOMAIN
From establishing the first grocery markets, the Buyck family gradually expanded into residential real estate in Flanders and Brussels.
Family-Controlled Design Studio
The Buyck family owns and oversees an architecture studio exclusively dedicated to its internal design and real estate development activities. Our studio is fully committed to managing our portfolio developments and improvements and does not engage with external clients.
In-House Property Management
Our portfolio leverages in-house resources to manage properties primarily focused on residential and food retail across the Brussels and Flanders regions of Belgium.
Recognized Architectural Expertise
The Buyck family has had the privilege of chairing both the Belgian National Order of Architects and the Brussels Architecture Board for consecutive mandates.
IMPACT INVESTING
INVEST with meaning and measure IMPACT
UNITED IN VALUES: World Alliance for Efficient Solutions
We are fundamentally driven by the goal of amplifying positive change through clean technologies. This necessitates directing capital toward clean and efficient ventures to foster an economy that evolves within planetary boundaries.
GOAL: TRANSITION TO NET ZERO
We support qualitative growth by deploying new clean technologies and efficient solutions necessary to address climate change. This approach opens up new opportunities for economic development through profitable investments rather than viewing them as costs.
Time horizon: Next generation
Our activity centralizes the strategic thinking, financial expertise and the family’s governance framework. It is aimed at asset classes beyond the real estate domain.
This third pillar of expertise has been developed internally to meet the family’s investment ambitions and reflecting our commitment to impactful investing.
This initiative is a testament to the ongoing efforts of the current 17th generation, demonstrating its expertise in making strategic investments that yield returns in a fostering positive societal impact.
