Retail sale of books: largest employers
152 Belgian companies in the sector (NACE 4761) report employees in recent accounts; here are the top 20. Standaard Boekhandel leads with 202.0 FTE (financial year 2025).
Top 20
Ranked by average headcount (FTE) reported in the latest filed accounts (accounts less than 3 years old).
| # | Company | Total assets | Revenue | Equity | FTE | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Standaard Boekhandel 9100 Sint-Niklaas | €131.1m | €182.6m | €75.4m | 202.0 | 2025 |
| 2 | WH Smith Belgium 2600 Antwerp | €4.48m | €15.9m | −€4.15m | 50.1 | 2025 |
| 3 | SBDW 1300 Wavre | €4.93m | — | 340,510 € | 44.3 | 2026 |
| 4 | Fondation CIVA (Centre d'Information, de documentation et d'exposition de la ville, de l'architecture, du paysage et de l'urbanisme de la Région de 1050 Ixelles | €1.88m | — | €1.06m | 42.5 | 2025 |
| 5 | ASKB 1410 Waterloo | €2.43m | — | 283,763 € | 33.6 | 2025 |
| 6 | Moliere et Compagnie 6000 Charleroi | €1.74m | — | 811,725 € | 26.2 | 2025 |
| 7 | Groupement Librairie Sud 5000 Namur | 162,333 € | — | 62,649 € | 24.5 | 2025 |
| 8 | Fédération Nationale des Patros 6060 Charleroi | €3.25m | — | €2.65m | 20.9 | 2025 |
| 9 | 't stad leest 2000 Antwerp | €1.35m | — | 102,203 € | 19.8 | 2025 |
| 10 | Tropismes 1000 Brussels | 959,250 € | — | 372,373 € | 18.9 | 2026 |
| 11 | Night 59 5000 Namur | 511,803 € | €8.88m | −152,330 € | 18.6 | 2025 |
| 12 | American Management Association Europe 1170 Watermael-Boitsfort | €4.28m | €8.54m | −856,986 € | 15.6 | 2026 |
| 13 | Brake-Out 9040 Ghent | 601,009 € | — | 57,896 € | 15.3 | 2025 |
| 14 | Waterstone'S Booksellers Belgium 1000 Brussels | €5.87m | €2.67m | €5.21m | 13.0 | 2025 |
| 15 | Goeds 9500 Geraardsbergen | 141,078 € | — | 22,569 € | 12.7 | 2025 |
| 16 | Union et Orientation de Promotion Chretienne 1160 Auderghem | €1.47m | — | −8,686 € | 12.2 | 2025 |
| 17 | Librairie Pax 4000 Liège | 848,183 € | — | 117,294 € | 10.1 | 2025 |
| 18 | La Traversée - Librairie 4845 Jalhay | €1.27m | — | 72,041 € | 9.9 | 2025 |
| 19 | HDLV 1050 Ixelles | 507,503 € | — | 233,173 € | 9.6 | 2025 |
| 20 | Dagbreydel 2018 Antwerp | €1.30m | — | 568,055 € | 9.3 | 2025 |
Headcount reported by the company for all its sites: the jobs may be located elsewhere.
“—”: not published. Small companies (micro and abridged accounts) do not have to publish their revenue.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is the largest employer in Retail sale of books?
Standaard Boekhandel, with 202.0 full-time equivalents reported (financial year 2025).
How many Retail sale of books companies report employees?
152 out of 244, in accounts less than 3 years old.
Analyse companies in Retail sale of books
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Open the full file →Active companies (legal entities) that have filed at least one set of annual accounts, based on the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises and the National Bank of Belgium. The sector is the main activity in the register; the municipality is that of the registered office. Data updated on 14 Nov 2026.