2023-05-18 01:57:00
The ready-to-wear chain Kookaï, in receivership, announced on Wednesday May 17 the closure of 20 stores by the end of the month. The company promised “reclassification proposals” to the 54 employees concerned. “It was decided on Friday evening, during a CSE meeting, the closure of 20 stores, everywhere in France, at the end of the month, to clean up the accounts”told Agence France-Presse (AFP) the management, which decided on the closures based on “store profitability and performance”. About 100 stores will remain open.
A total of 54 employees are concerned, “and all will receive reclassification proposals”specified the management, which welcomed the « boom you digital » since the announcement of the receivership, with a 200% increase in online turnover. Kookaï had justified in February its placement in receivership by the “economic difficulties faced by the ready-to-wear sector in Europe, which the Covid-19 crisis has only accentuated”.
Violent ready-to-wear crisis
Created in France in 1983, the brand then expanded to Australia in the 2000s and was bought in 2017 by Australian businessman Rob Cromb from the Vivarte group (which then included Caroll, Minelli, La Halle, Naf Naf, Chevignon, etc., liquidated in 2021. In 2022, Kookaï posted a turnover of 45 million euros, up 18% compared to 2021, but down 25% compared to 2019.
Also listen Camaïeu, San Marina, Kookaï… Disaster in ready-to-wear
The ready-to-wear sector in France has been shaken for several months by a violent crisis, which resulted in particular in the liquidation of Camaïeu in September 2022 and the placements in receivership of Go Sport (largely taken over by Intersport ) and Gap France (partially taken over by JD Sports) at the start of the year. On February 20, the San Marina shoemaker was placed in compulsory liquidation, dragging 650 employees down with it.
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