The Minelli shoemaker placed in receivership

Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: SAMEER AL-DOUMY / AFP 15:39 pm, September 28, 2023

The commercial court of Marseille placed Thursday Minelli in receivership to "prepare the sale (of the shoemaker) to a new shareholder to ensure the most effective continuation of activity possible," announced the management to AFP. The brand specializing in footwear, which was taken over in early 2022 by the leaders of the Marseille brand San Marina, now liquidated, employs 500 employees and has 120 stores and corners in France.

The receivership "will allow the company to benefit from a breath of financial oxygen," hopes the management.

Minelli still had 2022 employees at the beginning of 700

The brand of shoes intended mainly for women, and leather goods, was created in 1973, and at the beginning of 2022 still had 700 employees in 14 countries. It had been sold by the former flagship of the French textile Vivarte (ex-André group) to Stéphane Collaert, who with Laurent Portella had already bought the San Marina brand from the former French flagship two years earlier.

>> READ ALSO - Ready-to-wear: Asphalte, another successful French brand

The latter was liquidated last February by the Commercial Court of Marseille, which regretted that "no serious recovery project could be supported and (that) the current leaders have not been able to complete their reserve offer project, for lack of investor". 650 employees in about 160 stores of this brand founded in 1981 in the Bouches-du-Rhône had been left behind.

The ready-to-wear sector in France shaken for several months

The ready-to-wear sector in France has been shaken for several months by a violent crisis. Camaïeu, Burton of London, Gap France, André, San Marina, Kaporal, Don't Call Me Jennyfer, Du Pareil au Même, Sergeant Major, Naf Naf... These well-known brands of French consumers have suffered from an explosive cocktail: pandemic, inflation, rising costs of energy, raw materials, rents and wages or competition from second-hand and fast fashion.

>> READ ALSO - The ready-to-wear brand Kookaï announces its placement in receivership

It was fatal for some brands, which were liquidated, such as Camaïeu in September 2022, with, as a result, the dismissal of 2,100 employees that had strongly marked the spirits. Some are in receivership, such as Naf Naf or Burton of London. Without reaching that point, others are still downsizing, cutting staff and closing stores, such as Princesse Tam Tam, Comptoir des Cotonniers (Fast Retailing group) or Pimkie.