C&A continues restructuring in France: 300 jobs endangered

The clothing provider C&A, who has been represented in France for over 50 years and has been restructuring its branch network for several years, has announced a new project that endangers over 300 jobs.

The new job reduction plan announced to the employees on March 14 is encountered with resistance to the unions, especially for the CGT, which in a press release complains of a gradual “dismantling”, which has led to the loss of around 800 jobs in recent years.

“C&A brings the PSE (fr.: Plans to secure the workplace, editor’s note) together like closing sales periods,” criticizes the union. According to the CGT, it is the “8th PSE”, which takes place two years after the closure of two Paris flagship stores (Rivoli and Haussmann) in February 2023, which “140 employees: lost their workplace inside, 28 of whom have found a new job,” said Sandrine di Mambro, union delegate of the CGT, to AFP.

“Some college: Inside three PSE” and were transferred to the branch by the branch, “this is very psychologically very stressful,” she emphasizes and speaks of the “fear not to know if there is tomorrow [eine weitere Umstrukturierung] will give “.

She herself has been working on C&A for over 30 years and has witnessed numerous social plans, but the one announced on March 14, “is much more extensive than the others,” she is worried. In fact, “maximum” 324 people could be affected, the management of the AFP said on Friday.

In order to improve “its competitiveness” in a weakening clothing landscape, C&A optimizes its own branch network and plans to close 24 branches with “structural difficulties”, the company said. In addition, all 57 “Corner’s” sales outlets in other shops – the same fate should suffer from the brand in France, “since the partnerships with the companies Intermarché, Carrefour and Abraan could not be extended”.

Since the sales volume will fall, the sales center in Seine-ET-Marne, including its employees, is also affected by the restructuring. In the “coming weeks”, employee representatives “a comprehensive social plan package will be negotiated”, which includes retraining measures and accompanying offers, assured the management.

“Secure the future”

This plan aims to “secure the future of the brand on the French clothing market, which is constantly deteriorating and has difficulties on the C&A France despite previous adjustments,” said the company, which currently has 100 branches and 1,500 employees in France. Like others, C&A is trying to keep the serious crisis that has been overgrown with the French clothing industry for several years.

Camaïeu, Kookaï, Gap France, Don’t Call Me Jennyfer, André, San Marina, Minelli, Pimkie, Comptoir of the Cotonnier, Princesse Tam Tam, Kaporal, IKKS … Numerous well -known brands and city centers suffered from this. The crisis was fatal for some brands and they were liquidated, like Camaïeu in September 2022 with the discharge of 2,100 employees, which left deep traces.

These brands suffered from an explosive cocktail: pandemic, inflation, rising energy, raw material, rental and wage costs as well as competition from second-hand clothing and finally through “hyper-fast fashion”. This “ephemere” fashion with very low prices and constantly changing collections, which is imported to Europe via Asian platforms, is conquering more and more market shares in France every day. It additionally destabilizes traditional brands such as C&A, which was founded in 1841 by the brothers Clemens and August with a linen and cotton company – C&A Brenninkmeijer.

C&A is active in 17 European countries with 1,300 branches and offers inexpensive clothing for women, men and children. The company employs 25,000 employees.