better than in 2022, but in a gloomy climate

Winter sales which end on Tuesday show better scores than in 2022, but clothing professionals are struggling to rejoice in a tumultuous context for ready-to-wear who sees iconic signs in the turmoil, a “hecatomb”, according to FO.

The figures converge: 6% additional turnover over the first three weeks of the sales, according to the Alliance du Commerce, which brings together department stores and clothing brands, and 5% more sales over the first two weeks, according to the French Fashion Institute (IFM).

But a “trompe-l’oeil” balance sheet, explains the Alliance du Commerce, the winter sales 2022 having been marked by an epidemic rebound.

The “doesn’t take” dynamic

“We are rather better, but it is not exceptional”, abounds Gildas Minvielle, director of the economic observatory of the IFM. “The sales are not going against the trend, we are in a sluggish season, a difficult context”, he analyzes for AFP.

Among independent retailers, “the dynamics (of sales) does not take”, worries the National Federation of Clothing which includes 30,000 stores in France. Thus, 13% of them saw their turnover drop by 30% compared to the sales of 2022, notes the federation in a study sent to AFP.

With inflation, “the consumption of clothing is sometimes, for households, the adjustment variable” which makes it possible to cope with the decline in purchasing power, notes Mr. Minvielle.

Brice Bonnin, a 31-year-old musician, clearly sees the impact of inflation, he who is looking for jeans at Galeries Lafayette but “jeans at 115 bucks, no thank you! “, he told AFP.

Bengal Roche takes inflation with humour: “Are they raising prices? Me too, I raise the prices, ”explains the entrepreneur in the building of 56 years, a shopping bag in hand.

Cascading difficulties

In addition to inflation and the rise in the cost of raw materials and energy in recent months, there are other issues that have plagued the clothing sector for three years: the consequences of Covid-19, the competition from online sales and the boom in the second-hand market.

A combination of factors that has seriously weakened companies that have already been in difficulty for years.

The first noticeable earthquake occurred in September with the sudden judicial liquidation of Camaïeuleading to the dismissal of 2,100 employees.

Then it was the turn of Go Sport, placed in receivership mid-Januaryfollowed a few weeks later by its subsidiary Go Sport France.

At the end of January, the elected staff of Gap France exercised their right to alert in order to obtain information on the situation of their company, bought in 2021 for one euro by the HPB group (Hermione, People & Brands), which has announced to resell it to Go Sport.

A “catastrophe”

On February 1, Kookaï has announced its placement in receivership while Pimkie is about to be sold to a consortium combining Lee Cooper France, Kindy and Ibisler Tekstil, a takeover which could lead to the elimination of around 500 jobs, according to union sources.

Cop. Copine was partially taken over by Antonelle with a social component which “generates a significant number of layoffs”, can we read in the decision of the Bobigny commercial court at the end of January that AFP obtained.

Finally, C&A will close two well-established Parisian stores on Thursday, those of Haussmann and Rivoli, “as part of regular analyzes of the portfolio of stores and locations”, management told AFP, not wishing not “provide employee details”.

A “hecatomb”, for the federal section FO Commerce & VRP which denounced in a press release companies “having vampirized the funds, whether public or from their activity, without ever investing either in employment or in the work tool, nor in wages”.