“Unprecedented economic difficulties”

The ready-to-wear group Kaporal, a French clothing brand specializing in jeans, has been officially placed in receivership, according to a decision by the Marseille commercial court consulted by AFP on Friday.

The brand, whose head office is located in Marseille and which employs some 530 people and has 113 stores in France, had requested this placement at the beginning of the week to face “unprecedented economic difficulties”.

The commercial court of Marseille “pronounces on March 30, 2023, the opening of a receivership procedure” against Kaporal, in “cessation of payments on March 10, 2023”, explains the judgment.

The latter also opened a six-month observation period with the aim of protecting the company and allowing it to continue its activity.

On Tuesday, the group explained in a press release that “for many years, society has faced unpredictable and unstoppable external elements”, citing the consequences of the “yellow vests” demonstrations, the Covid-19 pandemic, “successive strikes”, and the “inflationary shock” notably due to the war in Ukraine.

Affirming that it has not found a new investor capable of relaunching the brand, the company “is no longer able to assume the payment of its debts on its own. The company will thus use a legal tool made available to companies facing difficulties”, explained the group.

Created in 2004 by a Marseille family already specialized in jeans, the Kaporal brand achieved 99 million euros in turnover in 2022.

The ready-to-wear sector in France has been shaken for several months by a violent crisis, which resulted in particular in the liquidation of Camaïeu in September 2022 and the placement in receivership of Go Sport, Gap France and Kookaï at the start year 2023. On February 20, the San Marina shoemaker was placed in compulsory liquidation, dragging 650 employees down with it.

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