The future could be better for about half of Claire’s employees in France. In fact, two companies proposed this Thursday, October 30, to the Paris Economic Activities Court to take over the brand, declared in suspension of payments at the end of July, and 460 employees of the 829 that the low-cost jewelry brand has in France, the lawyers of the personnel representatives told AFP.
The companies in question are the jewelry seller June, which has already obtained authorization to operate the Claire’s brand and wants to hire 426 employees, and the Spanish phone case seller La Casa de las Carcasas, which intends to hire 34 employees.
June would also take over 139 stores of Claire’s approximately 240 existing outlets, and 3 La Casa de las Cascasas stores, to sell its phone accessories.
“These additional offers”, which have every chance of being validated by the court on November 14, “are solid and lasting and could save almost 50% of jobs”, assured Eve Ouanson.
A social plan is open to non-contracted employees.
An employment protection plan (PSE) has already been opened for employees who are not affected by the recovery, which should mean dismissal for the majority of them.
At the end of July, the courts opened legal proceedings to recover Claire’s France, a brand best known for its small jewelry, piercings and other accessories aimed at teenagers. Management justified this by the continuous decline in store sales for several years, accelerated by US customs duties on Chinese products, which Claire’s uses massively.
But according to the latest published accounts, Claire’s France had generated 1.3 million euros of net profit between the end of 2023 and the end of 2024, and 0.8 million more than the previous year.
A third takeover offer was submitted to the receiver for some time before it was ultimately rejected.
Claire is in difficulties in the United States and Spain
The Claire’s brand is not only in difficulty in France: its parent company in the United States declared bankruptcy in August before being absorbed by an investment fund. The Spanish subsidiary of Claire’s also filed for bankruptcy in September.
At the beginning of September, staff representatives reported to the courts events that they described as “serious irregularities in the management of the company”, accusing the American parent company of having “emptied the coffers” through “financial flows” between the group’s numerous subsidiaries.
Source: BFM TV
