This legal recovery is all the more difficult for Minelli as the brand had already been taken over almost two years ago by San Marina, which itself was liquidated last February.
Created 50 years ago, the Minelli shoe brand enjoyed real success in the 1990s and 2000s. But today, it only employs 500 people in France, and has around a hundred stores and points sales, or corners in department stores. The procedure decided on Thursday, September 28, by the Marseille commercial court therefore aims to give Minelli a breath of fresh air to prepare for the sale of the brand to a new shareholder and try to maintain the activity. She therefore has the responsible for finding a new buyer,e which in the current context is not easy.
The clothing sector crisis continues
Minelli is not the only brand to be in turmoil. In recent years, we can speak of a massacre: Naf Naf, André, San Marina therefore, but also Camaïeu, Kookaï, Du Pareil Au Meilleur. Both footwear and ready-to-wear are experiencing an unprecedented crisis.
In recent years, the sector has experienced several groundswells. The pandemic has strained accounts with temporary store closures and rents which continued to accrue. Government aid was not enough and it must be repaid.
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The shift towards new practices
Inflation is currently increasing the prices of raw materials and compressing the budgets of households, who consume less et especially differently. They buy more and more on the internet and turn to the second hand. With thes practices encouraged by teleworking, there are, in addition, fewer trips to the store. Et finally, aggressive competition from Chinese brands, like Shein, are slashing prices. In fact, traditional brands did not resist.
In clothing as in shoes “mid-range”, between luxury and entry-level, retailers find themselves forced to review their model. For example, they must accelerate online sales, but also reduce the number of collections, in particular to meet new consumer expectations, which include ecological requirements. In the meantime, Minelli employees are hoping for a rapid recovery.