victory for the bookstores of Roubaix and Villeneuve-d'Ascq which will remain open

This is a victory for the Roubaix and Villeneuve-d'Ascq stores of the Furet du Nord brand: they will remain open, after the announcement in September 2024 of a possible closure. Despite a bad financial situation, the 27 jobs at stake will also be saved.

The news was announced during a Social and Economic Committee (CSE) on the morning of December 6, 2024, before being relayed to the teams in the afternoon. The Furet du Nord stores in Roubaix and Villeneuve-d'Ascq will continue to open their doors to customers.

The two bookstores had been threatened with closure since September. The reason is their low yield, notably due to the increase in rents and charges, and the decline in the new book market: -2% last year. Thanks to negotiations with landlords, the brands will be able to maintain themselves.

“When we think of Roubaix, we think of here”

a young Roubaisian, a regular at the brand

A real relief for customers, who have sometimes grown up with the brand. In the Roubaix store, a young customer declares: “I did all my supplies here, I bought all my books there… When we think of Roubaix, we think of here“.

“I go there very often, even when I don't need it, and the sellers are very nice.“, smiles another customer. A regular agrees: “It is essential that the store remains open, because otherwise we buy everything on the internet, whereas there, we can look, touch, smell the paper. They (the booksellers) put little words with their appreciation…“

The customers agree: maintaining the Roubais store is necessary. “Otherwise, you have to go to the big supermarkets, but there isn't much choice there.“, explains a customer. “We must also think of all those people who cannot get around as they want, who do not have a vehicle“, she adds. “Not everyone can travel to Lille “, says a young Roubaisian.

“Thanks to your unwavering loyalty and your continued support, we are able to continue to welcome you to our shelves, share our passion for reading, and accompany you in all your cultural discoveries“, indicates the press release shared by the Furet du Nord brand to its employees, Friday December 6, 2024.

Despite the agreement reached with landlords, the economic situation of the least profitable stores remains delicate. “At V2 (Villeneuve-d'Ascq), we reached the end. Ten years ago, the turnover was 10 million euros. Today, it is at a little less than half.”explained the brand's marketing manager, Nathalie Leleu, at the end of September. She advanced a surface “too big” of 1800 m², which no longer allowed the sustainability of its economic model. On a larger scale, theThe famous northern bookstore is also in competition with “behemoths like Amazon, Fnac or Cultura“, she lamented.

The possible closure was part of a broader restructuring plan desired by the Nosoli group (for We are booksellers), which owns the 19 Furet du Nord stores present mainly in Hauts-de-France, as well as 11 stores in the Decitre brand, located in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region. This represents more than 650 employees, around fifty jobs of which could still be affected by the restructuring.