There will soon no longer be the possibility of going shopping at San Marina. As a prelude to a court decision which must seal the future of the shoe brand, expected on February 20, all its stores will close this Saturday, learned 20 Minutes from a union source. In receivership, the brand employs more than 600 employees in France.
San Marina had indicated on Friday that the decision on his future will be made on February 20. His lawyer believed, at that time, in a judicial liquidation. The three takeover offers supported Friday at the Commercial Court of Marseille “did not meet the conditions of the law to be retained in receivership”, explained Bernard Bouquet.
Until then, the period of observation of the receivership continues and, in this context, the activity of San Marina and its stores continues as usual, adds the press release from the company whose headquarters are located in Gémenos (Bouches-du-Rhône), near Marseille.
The shareholders’ offer had failed
The hope of a takeover of the group, which suffered in particular from the health crisis linked to Covid-19, had faded after its two shareholders abandoned their offer, for lack of sufficient funding. Stéphane Collaert, who had bought the brand from Vivarte at the beginning of 2020, and Laurent Portella planned to take over a little less than a third of the 163 stores in San Marina, by selling their majority share to attract other investors, in particular suppliers of the taught, but without succeeding.
In September, the commercial court had opened receivership proceedings, setting March 22, 2023 as the end of the observation period.