Naf Naf Faces Judicial Recovery Again as Financial Struggles Continue
The French women's clothing brand has been placed in judicial recovery following financial difficulties, threatening 600 jobs.
Naf Naf, a prominent French women's clothing brand, has entered judicial recovery once again, reflecting ongoing financial challenges.
The decision was made by the commercial court of Bobigny, Seine-Saint-Denis, due to reported "cash flow difficulties," as confirmed by various sources.
This marks the third judicial recovery procedure for Naf Naf in the past five years, following a recent acquisition in June 2023. The Turkish ownership under Migiboy Tekstil has expressed intentions to "continue to ensure the brand’s existence and present a recovery plan." Currently, Naf Naf employs 588 people in France.
The court noted that the company is in a situation of payment cessation and "is unable to meet its immediate liabilities with its available assets." Naf Naf's liabilities are reported at €44 million, against a projected revenue of €47 million for 2024. Despite these challenging figures, the judicial authority indicated that there are recovery prospects based on the debtor's declarations and the business's future activity projections.
Naf Naf has been granted a six-month observation period, with a review scheduled for July 23, 2024. The financial situation of the company has raised significant concern among employees, particularly regarding the potential for job losses.
A public statement from the CFDT union highlighted the "disastrous social impact" of the situation.
Following the acquisition by Migiboy Tekstil in June 2023, the Turkish firm had pledged to retain 90% of the workforce and maintain approximately 100 retail outlets.
This acquisition reportedly involved an investment of over €1.5 million, saving 521 jobs at that time.
The deal also included the uptake of Naf Naf's subsidiaries in Spain, Italy, and Belgium.
The CFDT has cautioned that both management and the stakeholders must demonstrate that Naf Naf can operate at least temporarily, which entails supplying stores and reorganizing logistics under constrained financial conditions.
Presently, the management claims to have 800,000 items in stock and sales of around 140,000 items per month.
However, even with a potential recovery plan, significant reorganization is anticipated, including probable store closures and staff reductions at the headquarters.
A more severe scenario would involve liquidation, which would result in the assets being sold to the highest bidder, compounding the negative social implications of this outcome.
Naf Naf, founded in 1973 by brothers Gérard and Patrick Pariente, gained prominence in the 1980s with its iconic cotton canvas clothing.
The brand saw widespread commercial success throughout the 1990s, aided by memorable advertising campaigns.
However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020 initiated its first judicial recovery, followed by further financial struggles leading to another recovery process in September 2023, prior to the latest acquisition.
The decision was made by the commercial court of Bobigny, Seine-Saint-Denis, due to reported "cash flow difficulties," as confirmed by various sources.
This marks the third judicial recovery procedure for Naf Naf in the past five years, following a recent acquisition in June 2023. The Turkish ownership under Migiboy Tekstil has expressed intentions to "continue to ensure the brand’s existence and present a recovery plan." Currently, Naf Naf employs 588 people in France.
The court noted that the company is in a situation of payment cessation and "is unable to meet its immediate liabilities with its available assets." Naf Naf's liabilities are reported at €44 million, against a projected revenue of €47 million for 2024. Despite these challenging figures, the judicial authority indicated that there are recovery prospects based on the debtor's declarations and the business's future activity projections.
Naf Naf has been granted a six-month observation period, with a review scheduled for July 23, 2024. The financial situation of the company has raised significant concern among employees, particularly regarding the potential for job losses.
A public statement from the CFDT union highlighted the "disastrous social impact" of the situation.
Following the acquisition by Migiboy Tekstil in June 2023, the Turkish firm had pledged to retain 90% of the workforce and maintain approximately 100 retail outlets.
This acquisition reportedly involved an investment of over €1.5 million, saving 521 jobs at that time.
The deal also included the uptake of Naf Naf's subsidiaries in Spain, Italy, and Belgium.
The CFDT has cautioned that both management and the stakeholders must demonstrate that Naf Naf can operate at least temporarily, which entails supplying stores and reorganizing logistics under constrained financial conditions.
Presently, the management claims to have 800,000 items in stock and sales of around 140,000 items per month.
However, even with a potential recovery plan, significant reorganization is anticipated, including probable store closures and staff reductions at the headquarters.
A more severe scenario would involve liquidation, which would result in the assets being sold to the highest bidder, compounding the negative social implications of this outcome.
Naf Naf, founded in 1973 by brothers Gérard and Patrick Pariente, gained prominence in the 1980s with its iconic cotton canvas clothing.
The brand saw widespread commercial success throughout the 1990s, aided by memorable advertising campaigns.
However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020 initiated its first judicial recovery, followed by further financial struggles leading to another recovery process in September 2023, prior to the latest acquisition.
