Employees of Andre at the end of the nerves – The Parisian

Then a central committee is held this morning, there are growing concerns among employees of the cobbler.

Dyears, the shoe store, everything seems to be going better. The customers are present and vendors smiling. “We always work with motivation,” says John*, in charge of a shop André in the paris region and in the home for more than thirty years. “But it is hard…” once in the back of the store, the atmosphere becomes more oppressive when he talks about the subject that haunts the minds of the employees of the brand : the rumor of the sale of the brand André, who has lost 55 M€ over the last three years, and is owned by Vivarte group (see cons below). With the key of the store closures.

” If it comes to that, it is because of the errors committed since the arrival of Marc Lelandais (NOTE : ex-director of the brand Lancel) at the head of Vivarte in 2012. He had the luxury, he knew nothing to the shoe and had not understood the model, André, takes John. He mounted the brand in the range, without worrying about what wanted to the customer. It didn’t work, and you pay the fees today. “

vendors gathered yesterday in front of Bercy

Sylvie*, saleswoman of the shop, and there, alongside John, raises a tone, sad another problem : the lack of communication between management and sellers. “We learned of the possible sale of Andre by our customers and the media, this is not normal. It is not listened to, not consulted and they don’t care of our future. “

Sylvie and Jean are not the only ones to be worried about. Yesterday, a quarantine of employees of the group have gathered in front of Bercy, while unions were received by the office of Christophe Sirugue. At the end of three hours, the department has merely commit to put pressure on shareholders to ” improve social dialogue “. Nothing else.

A sense of abandonment shared by Isabelle*, a sales clerk in a paris boutique of the brand. “I’m not even retired yet, I really fear for the future. We were forced to wait several weeks to learn more, this is unbearable “, she says.

Louis*, responsible for another shop in the Ile-de-France, says he is “sickened” and “resigned” in the face of this situation. He refuses to make illusions. “Even if a spokesman for Vivarte has been denied, it is not fooled. The group will try to get rid of the mark. They’re going to close fifty stores and there will be layoffs… ” The manager is skeptical about the ability of Vivarte to resell André. “Nobody wants to ! It has already undergone a social plan in 2015, and this year, it might be worse. I think that advantage should be taken of the approach of the elections to attract the eye of the policies on our struggle, to have a chance to be saved. “

* names have been changed.

To 17, 000 French employees of Vivarte, the leading group of clothing French, the year is announced like that of all the dangers. What is the sauce going to be eaten ? The question runs in a loop in the group’s brands such as André, la Halle aux chaussures, San Marina, Caroll, Chevignon… The fear of a total liquidation and the dismantling of the group, his obsession with the spirits. Since 2014, rien ne va plus, three CEOS have digger in ten months and the debt is piling up : from 800 million to€ 1.5 billion in two years. The new CEO, Patrick Puy, at the helm for a year, must present its plan in the coming weeks. The government, for its part, remains silent.

CATHERINE GASTÉ