Naf Naf: Stores are already preparing to close, even before the court's decision this Thursday

"Naf Naf says goodbye." Posters announcing its imminent closure appear in some shop windows, weary saleswomen, disappointed customers... In a tense atmosphere, the ready-to-wear brand Naf Naf, in receivership , awaits a decision on its fate this Thursday, August 7. The court will have to decide on the partial takeover offers that have been submitted for the struggling brand or, if none are approved, resolve to liquidate it. In France, Naf Naf employs 588 people, the court noted in its receivership decision in May.

In several Parisian boutiques, the cleverest of the three little pigs that gave their name to the iconic 90s women's fashion brand sadly greets its customers with a few signs. The mood is gloomy inside the boutiques in the center of the capital, where several employees denounce successive managements who "don't listen" and who "repeat the same mistakes."

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In fact, the brand "Au Grand Méchant Look" has undergone three successive receiverships, the last of which in May worried its approximately 600 employees in France. "Nothing changes, at the first receivership, we had to close stores and then relaunch the brand," summarizes a saleswoman. Her colleague adds: "Some (customers) don't recognize the brand. We've been hearing that for 3 or 4 years, since the first acquisition. The brand has gone downhill, and they continue to sink."

In the stores, the racks are emptying, the boxes are piling up upstairs, and customers are few and far between in this clearance atmosphere. "For the past five years, we've had a string of changes of ownership. Prices have gone up, the quality has gone down," laments one employee. The same nostalgia is evident among customers, including Sabrina, 45: "I grew up with Naf Naf. Before, when we wanted a beautiful dress, we came here." The forty-year-old regrets the poorer finishes and "cheap" fabrics and sighs: "It would be a shame if it closed because I don't like shopping online, and now everything is closing."

The Beaumanoir Group (Caroll, Bonobo, Cache Cache, etc.) has offered to take over the Naf Naf brand and 12 stores in France, "selected for their strategic location, allowing the group to continue and strengthen its territorial coverage of its current brands . " "The offer also includes the takeover of 48 employees working for these stores and nearly 250 additional redeployment opportunities within its various brands," added the group, which partially acquired the women's ready-to-wear brand Jennyfer in June.

The CFDT said in a press release at the end of July that it was not in favour of this proposal, which envisages "the takeover of a very limited number of stores and employees" and therefore considers that it "is more akin to a liquidation offer" .

The offer that finds favor in the eyes of the union is that of Amoniss, owner of Pimkie, who would like to "take over 30 stores while keeping the Naf Naf brand, with the takeover of 146 permanent contracts," reveals the CFDT. The latter does not hide its concerns, however, as the financial situation of the candidate remains "fragile." When contacted, Amoniss did not immediately respond.

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Faced with "cash flow difficulties," Naf Naf was placed in receivership by the Bobigny Commercial Court (Seine-Saint-Denis) in May. In June 2024, after a previous receivership, the Turkish buyer Migiboy Tekstil committed to saving 90% of jobs and retaining around 100 of its own stores. At the time, the company offered more than €1.5 million to take over the French brand. In doing so, the Turkish company saved 521 of its 586 jobs and around 100 stores in France, and took over subsidiaries in Spain, Italy, and Belgium.