Judicial Liquidation: San Marina Definitely Lowers Curtain This Saturday Night

“Ah, we close on Saturday night.” Employees at shoe brand San Marina have been battling an influx of their latest customers since Wednesday in search of great deals. With no valid takeover bids, the forced liquidation of the group of more than 600 employees across 163 stores in France seems inevitable.

On Monday, the Commercial Court of Marseille, the city where the group was born in 1981, will make its decision. Therefore, this Saturday evening, the shops will definitely close the curtain.

“Everyone will be fired,” said a spokesman for CGT, whose union also called for a strike on Tuesday to force management to reprice the severance pay promised to workers.

“Management offered us a doubling of the bonus for objective reasons, the so-called variable,” which ranges “between 17 and 40 euros per month,” Helmi Farhat explained, adding that employees perceived this as “humiliation.” CGT wants this severance pay to reach at least a month and a half of salary. What the leadership has so far refused.

“Internet killed us”

“When you see French brands closing down, it’s scary. The network, it killed us, and then also bad management, ”testifies an AFP saleswoman.

Stars of the 1990s, brands like San Marina, Pimkie, Camaïeu or even Kookaï in sale or forced liquidation often experienced their first hardships due to the 2008 financial crisis. Increasing competition from the Internet has dealt a death blow. . E-commerce in this sector jumped from 3% to 15% of sales.

We also had to reckon with the used car boom that damaged all these iconic brands. Landing in France in 2013, the Lithuanian Vinted has become indispensable. Finally, the “middle” positioning no longer finds its place between H&M, Kiabi and other Primarks that are much cheaper, and the high-end brands (Sandro, Zadig & Voltaire, Maje, etc.) that we are proud of. wear.