Jean Wrangler and Lee's brands leave the country

You heard, at that time, the marks Forever 21, H & M, TopShop, Gap, Zara Home, Bershka or Stradivarius. The paradise of consumption, even, delighted the middle clbad to watch Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci o Brooks Brothers.

None of these stores have arrived in the country during the three years of Cambiemos government. Because? As the president would say, "all of a sudden, things have happened."

Farewell to jeanswear clbadics

The Wrangler and Lee brands, operated in Argentina by VF Corporation, will leave the country in 2019. The 200 employees who work in the company have already been informed and a large part of them they will be unemployed from March.

"The company considers that the Central and South America region is not a priority for its activities.", They badure the company before the consultation of minutouno.com.

VF is present in Chile and Brazil, but unlike Argentina, negotiations are underway for the continuation of its activity. The resulting variables involve "licensing and distribution to strategic alliances with local and regional partners".

Wrangler and Lee will stop operating in Argentina because they have not found anyone to authorize them. In Brazil and Chile, they are redefining their activities. "

The goal of the multinational is to achieve a global spin-off, separating its brands into two different companies: one will be in charge of the Vans and Timberland, and another – called Kontoor-, of Wrangler and Lee. It's the one that will stop operating on a national scale. Throughout this year, there will always be products in some places.

"The decision was made to finalize the activities in Argentina during the year 2019"They say of the company, and they add," We have sought to optimize the long-term business of the region in order to reach consumers more effectively, focusing on growth, brand building and commercial and financial performance. In this context, it is decided to restructure the activity in the three countries. "

"The decision was made to finalize the activities in Argentina in 2019," they badured VF Corporation.

The "context" of the country is worrying, even dramatic. In the first 11 months of 2018, wages fell by 17 points against inflation, and we talk about 20 points on average per year.

Falling sales

Raúl Hutin, head of textile SMEs, secretary of the central business entity and member of Fundación Pro Tejer, focuses on the collapse of sales. "There is no domestic market, who are you going to sell?", He asks in a conversation with minutouno.com.

The employer provides data: "the textile crisis is very deep, the last one is for the month of November. There is 43.7% of the installed capacity, that is to say that out of 100 machines do not produce 56. Machines and factories are stopped. It has been falling since December and January was catastrophic. It is better to go on vacation than to leave the factory open. "

And the niche markets?

For niche brands, the picture is better, but not easy. The owner of a famous line of women's clothing (worn by celebrities such as Pampita, Zaira Nara, Vero Lozano and Sabrina Garciarena) warns of the number of brands on hold.

"Many were producing in China, and when it was the dollar, all production started with a price, and then the currency was almost double, which will be reflected in the prices that will be displayed in the winter. Producing there may still be a business for those who make large-scale clothing. But still, companies like VF which produce in quantity, close"

"The dollar, the drop in consumption, the lack of quotas and the lack of fabrics are factors that affect our business," says the owner of a prestigious national brand.

Its brand points to an ABC1 target that is not directly affected by the crisis. In this context, they rely on design and quality to surf the economic fluctuations. The difficulties, however, are not exhausted by the recession.

"Several factors concern us in our company. The dollar is the main, also the decline in consumption, the lack of quotas and for those we produce at the national level, there is no tissue. No products in between! It's hard to build a collection if you do not have a closure, "he says. And it ends: "They say it's the worst crisis in the textile industry for 30 years."

Wrangler opened its first stores in Argentina in 1977. In the 90s, one in five jeans was of this brand. Lee, meanwhile, arrived in the 1960s and was relaunched in 2014. His model 101 was the first to close the story.