A real shock for the sector. The flagship of textiles made in France, Le Coq Sportif, was placed in receivership on November 22. An inevitable outcome for this company which had been in a precarious financial situation for several months, to the point of having difficulty honoring its contract as official supplier to the French delegation for the last Olympic Games. Therefore, more than 300 jobs are threatened in the country and subcontractors risk being weakened, like the domino effect recorded in the automobile industry in recent times.
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Elsewhere, in France, the made in France textile industry is faced with other points of alert. This is demonstrated by the example of Rautureau Apple Shoes, which has its origins in La Gaubretière (Vendée) since 1870. On its production site, banners appeared with slogans, “ Death of the made in France », « angry employees », signaling the upcoming closure of this factory dedicated to the production of the Free Lance brand. At least 29 jobs will be lost in the region.
« The Rautureau Apple Shoes company is forced to consider ceasing its production, production support and sales activities for shoes for the luxury brands Free Lance and JB Rautureau, whose Sales have seen a 41% drop since 2019 », specifies the direction of the company via press release.
Contacted by La Tribune to detail this decisionmanagement did not respond to our requests. However, the cut in staff numbers could be much greater. No less than 18 boutiques and corners of department stores, as well as two No Name and Schmoove boutiques could also close, affecting a total of 85 positions.
“The sector has been strongly impacted by changes in consumption habits, persistent inflation and an increase in the popularity of the second-hand market, combined with an increase in production costs,” justifies in writing the manufacturer who has been in economic difficulties for five years.
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Staff cuts
Unfortunately, Rautureau Apple Shoes is not the only textile company made in France to review the size of its teams. The French leader in medical compression socks and stockings, Sigvaris, announced for the first time in its history that it would have to implement a PES. It will concern a maximum of 27 employees (out of 700 employees in France and a turnover of 100 million euros) and is part of the broader framework of the deployment of a “ competitiveness plan “. Sigvaris claims to have to reduce its costs and improve its competitiveness to find a certain economic base, which has three factories in the Loire and in Huningue in Alsace.
“We must confront two unfavorable trends. On the one hand, production costs which have increased sharply with energy, raw materials, wages, etc. On the other, Social Security reimbursement bases which have not changed since 1984 and which, on the contrary, will be lowered by 2% by the end of the year and by another 2% for the year. next year as part of national objectives to reduce health spending »regrets Sandrine Maillard, general director of Sigvaris France.
However, Sigvaris France wishes to maintain its “made in France” positioning and claims to reject any desire for relocation. The manufacturer will therefore continue to roll out its investment plan of 14 million euros announced in 2021. It promises to soon unveil a new industrial process which should “significantly improve the competitiveness of the company”. The company will also accelerate on the subject of innovation in order to diversify and boost its premium ranges, generating more margins.
“The turnover is not there”
In another sector, the Catalan fabric factory The Canvases of the Sun – founded in Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans (Pyrénées-Orientales) in 1837 – also counts on innovation to relaunch itself. The company has just completed the recruitment of a new artistic director. Since the beginning of October, Les Toiles du Soleil (25 employees, 2 million euros turnover) has been placed in receivership. to protect the company”, underlines Stéphane Torck, co-founder of JCST Holding.
However, this entity has been the property of Gardois JCST Holding for only two years and thus complements the brands already in the group's possession in terms of decoration: Athezza, Maison Pichon and SOME Slow Concept.
“The French economic situation is complicated and in the decoration sector, the market has not kept up with the increase in prices with inflation, deciphers the leader. Our strategy is that of international development: we have recreated the license in Japan, we are establishing ourselves in South Korea, Taiwan and Shanghai, Qatar and Saudi Arabia in 2025. But the turnover is not not there and we need time. »
Furthermore, the brand has closed its own point of sale in Paris, but still has a franchise store in Montpellier. “ We are considering bringing in a new shareholder because if the company does not grow, it is doomed to disappear or to be bought by Chinese or American predators,” fears Stéphane Torck.
At the same time, some are already doomed to disappear, such as the Nantes start-up Ankore, which since 2020 has been offering a range of recycled clothing, manufactured in France, from several French subcontractors, but also Portuguese partners. “ In 2023, the trend towards more responsible consumption has completely plummeted. Small, ethical and independent French brands are closing their doors one after the other, to the indifference of public authorities. Because nothing is being done to stop fast fashion. Although it cuts jobs in France and Europe (…) The French textile industry is slowly dying », Testifies Romain Durand, the founder of Ankore.
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