The northern brand Camaïeu may soon be placed in receivership. In any case, this is what the clothing brand is asking the Lille Commercial Court during a hearing, this Wednesday, July 27. Camaïeu declared Monday 25 in cessation of paymenttwo years after its takeover by Financière Immobilière Bordelaise and a first placement in receivership.
Several hard knocks in recent months
The company of 2,700 employees based in Roubaix is again in difficulty. First there are the lasting effects of closures during Covid. Then last year, in June, a cyberattack cripples the company for 4 months. 40 million euros are spent there during the reopening period. Finally, there is more recently the conflict in Ukraine and inflation.
But the sinews of war for Camaïeu are the rents, which increase in parallel. Since June 2021 some stores too struggling had to stop paying. Except that today the Court of Cassation is asking for a repaymentafter its decision of June 30 which refuses traders lower rents during this Covid period.
A debt that could “endanger the company, admits the direction. It is to save time that it asks to be placed in receivership, with a continuation plan to get finances back on track.
A debt that could “endanger the companyadmits the direction.
Employees “in doubt”
Employees and unions speak of a tense climate. The amount of this debt remains unknown and it is above all uncertainty that inhabits them. “We’ve been rowing for two years, the employees are in doubtreports Nordine Misraoui, secretary of the CE and CFDT representative. Two years ago, they took a slap, today it starts again…“When Camaïeu was taken over by the FIB, 123 of the 634 stores had to close their doors.
But the union representative says he is more confident this time: “I’m sure it won’t close, but I’m afraid there might be a need to close a few stores. Our shareholder will have to put money back on the table. We are lucky to be part of a group, we could try to ensure that the gains of some compensate for the losses of others. That’s what we want.“
The decision of the commercial court will be rendered on Monday August 1st.