The elected staff of 22 Galeries Lafayette stores, who had exercised their right to alert in December to obtain information on the situation of parent company HPB (Hermione, People & Brands), denounced on Thursday the lack of transparency in management.
“One month after the start of this procedure, the management refuses to communicate the documents requested by the expert on the cash flow of the company or the justification of the flows with the holding” HPB, said the elected official.
Contacted by AFP, the management of the HPB group did not react immediately.
In December 2018, Financière immobilière bordelaise (FIB), an investment fund of Bordeaux businessman Michel Ohayon, bought 22 Galeries Lafayette stores whose operations and walls are now managed by FIB’s distribution branch Hermione, People & Brands (HPB). ).
Stalled projects
This company “bought several brands on its own in great financial difficulties: Camaïeu, Go Sport, Gap”, worries the inter-union in the press release.
Elected staff at Galeries Lafayette believe that “the projects that had been announced are on hold, the workforce is reduced to a minimum” and that “the blocking of merchandise deliveries for a few days further reinforces the fears of staff representatives at the sustainability of the company and its 750 jobs”.
The elected staff of the ready-to-wear brand Gap France had exercised their right to alert at the end of January 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 had announced the resale to Go Sport.
Subsequently, the Grenoble commercial court placed in suspension of payments, on January 19 and February 2 respectively, the parent company Groupe Go Sport, which groups the activities of the distributor’s headquarters as well as 46 stores “in international master franchise”. , according to the official statement. , and Go Sport France, which brings together “82 integrated stores, 87 franchise stores (Go Sport and Endurance Shop)”, as well as online sales.
Source: BFM TV
