Five takeover bids have been submitted by the ready-to-wear group Kaporal, a French clothing brand specializing in jeans, and will be examined on June 22 by the Marseille commercial court, according to concordant sources. These offers can still be “improved” up to 48 hours before the exam, a representative of the current leadership said on Friday, without further comment.
The brand, whose headquarters are in Marseille and which employs some 530 people and has 113 stores in France, had filed for bankruptcy in March to face “unprecedented economic difficulties”, preventing it “assuming on its own payment of their debts.” “.
“For many years, society has faced unpredictable and unstoppable external elements,” the group explained, citing the fallout from the “yellow vest” protests, the Covid-19 pandemic, “rolling strikes” and the ” inflationary shock”, in particular due to the war in Ukraine. Created in 2004 by a Marseillaise family already specialized in jeans, Kaporal had a turnover of 99 million euros in 2022.
Two offers from former or current Kaporal officials
The Marseille commercial court had opened a recovery procedure, giving prospective buyers until May 22 to submit their offers. Five initial offers have been submitted, including two from former or current Kaporal officials. Kaporal’s creator, Laurent Emsellem, who ran the company until 2013, proposed with a partner to take over 281 permanent employees and 70% of the stores.
Two Kaporal executives, Thierry Bongiovanni and Nicolas Ciccione, have made an offer with the acquisition of 393 permanent employees and the closure of at least 7 stores. Two other offers come from companies in the sector. The “Golden Blue” company, also from Marseille and which operates the Le temps des cerfs brand, has offered to keep 113 permanent jobs and 18 stores. The Guerrida company, specialized in second-hand clothing, has submitted an offer for the takeover of 348 employees.
Finally, Noz, a chain of stores specializing in destocking, offered to take over only the stock, for 9.4 million. 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 suspension of payments of Go Sport, Gap France and Kookaï at the beginning of the year 2023. On February 20, the San Marina shoe store was placed in forced liquidation, taking 650 employees with it.
Source: BFM TV
