Restructuring of Brice and Jules stores: Le Havre particularly affected

The information fell in the middle of the week. The Happychic group, owner of the Jules, Bizzbee and Brice brands will close 88 stores and remove 466 jobs. This brutal restructuring is linked to a significant drop in sales of its men's ready-to-wear brands.

In Normandy, the Jules d'Alençon store (Orne) is scheduled to close in July 2020. In Cherbourg, Brice in the Galerie de la Glacerie could close in June 2019.

Le Havre particularly affected

Four Brice stores and the Bizzbee shop at Porte Océane are under threat. Twenty jobs are in the hot seat.

"A year ago, the management told us that the company was doing well" explains Françoise Tavarès, elected CFDT on the works council of Happychic and responsible for a point of sale Brice in Tourville-la-Rivière (Seine-Maritime).

The union representative can not explain why closure projects are particularly concentrated in Le Havre. "The choice is based on the operating accounts and the prospects of evolution of stores," she says. The points of sale of Espace Coty and Docks Vauban could be saved if their sales increase and if they get a lower rent.

"Some landlords are also responsible for the situation.They continue to increase rents even as the activity of the shops decreases" adds Françoise Tavarès.

Towards a disappearance of Brice

According to the trade unionist, the mark Brice is doomed to disappear. It should be grouped with the Jules brand, the new group taking a new name. Management is working on the restructuring project entitled "Jules and Co". "This is the general surprise because in recent months the turnover of Brice increases," she said.

The sign Brice was born in Le Mans (Sarthe). The Sarthe warehouses will close in April 2019, resulting in the majority of layoffs planned by the group. Happychic's job protection plan runs until 2021. The clothing company is linked to the Mulliez group, which owns the Auchan, Decathlon, Leroy Merlin …