Fashion
Esprit has opened a new store in the city centre of the Belgian city Liège, on the shopping artery Rue Vinâve d'Île. That is a surprising move, given the recent cutbacks in the fashion chain.
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Food
British supermarket chain Tesco has announced another thorough restructuring. A total of 9000 jobs are in the balance, both in the main office and in the stores. Service counters will disappear in 90 stores.
Gerry Weber's parent company is in suspension of payment. The German fashion chain wants to make a fresh start, but not before they've been thoroughly restructured. 230 stores will need to be closed, putting 900 jobs at risk.
Modeketen Gerry Weber heeft er een bloedrood boekjaar op zitten: het verlies loopt op tot 148 miljoen euro. “Geen verrassing”, zeggen de Duitsers, maar ze trekken wel de stekker uit 230 winkels.
Fashion chain Esprit has announced a worldwide restructuring to keep the company competitive. Almost half of the staff will be terminated and many outlets will be closed around the globe.
De groep H&M voert een transformatieplan door om zich te concentreren op zijn kernactiviteiten en zet daarom een kruis over het verlieslatende modemerk Cheap Monday, dat vooral via wholesale wordt verkocht.
Furniture
Swedish furniture chain Ikea plans to cut 7,500 jobs as part of its transformation plan, which should help the retailer cope with "changing customer behaviour". On the other hand, the chain will create 11,500 jobs in emerging markets.
French fashion chain Camaïeu has applied for protection against creditors. The retailer with around 900 stores in fifteen countries already had to implement a rescue plan in 2016.
Not only are all 23 of Blokker's outlets in Wallonia running at a loss, the same is apparently true for the Flemish stores. Analysts fear a definitive end to the chain's Belgian branch in early 2019.
Coffee chain Starbucks is restructuring its European activities. The Amsterdam office closes, resulting in 190 dismissals, and Mexican franchise group Alsea will take over all stores in Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
A more professional product range and a return to bigger packages: that is how Makro Belgium wants to return to better ways. Its CEO Vincent Nolf admits the chain is currently "in intensive care", but hopes to see improvement already next year.
Trade unions and management have finally reached an agreement at Carrefour Belgium, which will be presented to the employees later this week. An early retirement scheme has however shocked some of the political parties.
General
British retailer Marks & Spencer wants a strict restructuring: in the next four years, it wants to shut down 100 British stores (instead of 60). “We need to do this to safeguard the future”, it said.
Belgian supermarket group Mestdagh, which runs 83 Carrefour stores in the French speaking part of the country, has revealed the plan with which it wants to become profitable again. 450 jobs will be cut, but no stores will be closed.
British fashion chain New Look aims to shut up to sixty stores, possibly eradicating 1,000 jobs, in its home territory. This way, it aims to avoid a possible slide into bankruptcy.
Carrefour Belgium’s restructuring plan will contain both two store closures (hypermarkets in Genk and Angleur) and job cuts at the main office in Evere.
