Dutch investment company Parcom is poised to start exclusive talks about buying high street staple Hema, the Financieele Dagblad said on Friday.

Hema has been in the hands of a number of major debtors since mid June, who are keen to sell the company on and Parcom is the only remaining potential buyer, the paper said.

The paper bases its claim on sources who wish to remain anonymous and neither Parcom, Hema or the current owners will comment on the report.

The Van Eerd family, which owns the Jumbo supermarket group, will participate in any eventual bid as a minor shareholder, the FD said. Jumbo and Hema already work together in cross sales.

Hema has been lumbered with huge debts for years by a variety of different private equity investors and the coronavirus crisis only made things worse. The company has been loss making since 2013 and its current debt stands at over €750m.