Employees of the fashion label, Jennyfer, plead for continuation as closure looms.
French women's fashion chain Jennyfer, currently in judicial liquidation, awaits a court decision on May 28, 2025, in Bobigny. The 220 boutiques of the brand, facing economic instability since April 30, are under consideration, potentially altering the future of nearly 1,000 jobs locally and globally.
Despite the lingering uncertainty for employees like Samia, who prefers to keep her emotions in check until the court renders its decision, operations have continued, offering a glimmer of hope for potential takeover offers.
The last days of Jennyfer have been marked by distress among the workforce. On May 21, store employees, weary and mentally drained, went on strike, closing all stores. "This is unprecedented for the company," an employee with more than 20 years of service noted.
The brand's future prospects seem dim, as several takeover bids have been lodged, but a comprehensive rescue remains a distant possibility, according to unions, due to a saturated ready-to-wear market and an outdated business model.
Jennyfer has struggled with rising costs, declining consumer purchasing power, and intense competition, which have eroded its profitability. The company, once revived in 2023 by new owners Yann Pasco and Jean-Charles Gaume with Shanghai Pure Fashion support, underwent a brand image overhaul and marketing repositioning that ultimately proved insufficient. A rebranding attempt under the name "Don’t Call Me Jennyfer" in 2019 was later abandoned as part of its revitalization strategy.
As the court's decision draws near, employees fear the potential loss of jobs and wonder what the future holds for Jennyfer.
- The potential future of Jennyfer, a once-revived French women's fashion chain, is uncertain, as the court decision on May 28, 2025, may bring an end to its 220 boutiques and nearly 1,000 jobs, not only locally but globally.
- As the brand braces for possible closure and job losses, takeover bids have been lodged, offering a glimmer of hope to employees like Samia, who choose to remain optimistic as they await the court's decision.
- The struggles of Jennyfer in the competitive fashion-and-beauty market, coupled with increasing costs and declining consumer purchasing power, have challenged the company's financial stability and business model, making a comprehensive rescue a distant possibility, according to unions.
