Type
Internal restructuring
Country
France
Region
Location of affected unit(s)
Sector
Retail
Retail Trade, Except Of Motor Vehicles And Motorcycles
Retail Sale Of Other Household Equipment In Specialised Stores
47.52 - Retail sale of hardware, paints and glass in specialised stores

789 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
20 March 2019
Employment effect (start)
1 April 2019
Foreseen end date
1 November 2020

Description

The British DIY store group Kingfisher has announced the closure of 11 stores in France by November 2020, considering their profitability insufficient. Nine Castorama stores and two Brico Dépôt stores are covered by this plan in France (several store closures are also announced in Europe). 'These stores have experienced a steady decline in customer traffic, despite revitalisation initiatives, and their projections remain negative,' Kingfisher said in a release. In total, these 11 closures concern 789 employees, who will be offered a similar position within these two companies in France. However, employees who refuse transfers may be dismissed.  Trade union FO at Castorama opposes this decision saying that workers cannot be forced to move at will. The Castorama stores concerned by the closures are located in Lille, Paris and the Paris region (Seine-et-Marne, Val-d'Oise, Essonne), as well as in Darnetal (Seine-Maritime) and Angers (Maine-et-Loire).

The British group Kingfisher owns 224 stores employing more than 18,000 employees in France, where the DIY market is in decline. Recently, a reorganisation was recorded in 2018 with about 400 job cuts and 100 recruitements. A previous recruitment announcement was made in 2011 (130 job creations).


Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2019), Castorama France, Internal restructuring in France, factsheet number 97419, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/97419.