The Paris Commercial Court opened liquidation proceedings on September 9th for the shoe retailer André. Having ceased payments, the company cannot be restructured and now employs only 30 people, according to a ruling seen by AFP. Difficulties with a landlord and the failure of negotiations with Westfield are among the factors cited to explain the lack of a solution.
Another failed attempt at recovery
Founded in Nancy in 1896, André has undergone several changes of ownership and legal proceedings in recent years. The company, which opened its 500th store in 1983, belonged to the Vivarte group before being acquired by the online retailer Spartoo in 2018.
In 2020, while it was in receivership, the brand was acquired by 1Monde9, the company of François Feijoo, former head of André. The network was then significantly reduced: around fifty stores were retained out of the 180 that the brand had, as well as 13 affiliates.
A new receivership preceded the 2023 takeover by the Belgian company Optakare, headed by Karim Redjal. At that time, 119 out of 250 employment contracts and 21 out of 50 stores were maintained.
In April 2025, the company once again filed for bankruptcy. The takeover bid, reviewed by AFP at the time, cited a difficult economic climate and rising rent costs. In early 2026, Karim Redjal acquired the company after his offer was accepted by the Parisian court. His plan included retaining 43 employees, 33 of whom were on permanent contracts, as well as seven stores and two shop-in-shops. This latest attempt failed to prevent liquidation.
Difficulties exacerbated by the current economic situation
André has had to cope with several successive shocks. The Covid-19 pandemic led to store clos; the war in Ukraine contributed to rising raw material costs. The brand also suffered from competition from low-cost fashion and the secondhand market, embodied in particular by Shein and Vinted.
The liquidation decision comes after the failure of negotiations with Westfield and amid difficulties related to the commercial premises. According to the document seen by AFP, the company is no longer in a position to be restructured.
Source: TF1 INFO – News for everyone (www.tf1info.fr)
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