The group wants in particular to close four department stores located in Paris, Le Havre, Strasbourg, and Metz.
Printemps refers to "a structurally difficult market deteriorated by the succession of economic crises".
The Printemps department store group "plans to close" four Printemps stores located in Paris, Le Havre, Strasbourg and Metz, and three Citadium stores (Paris, Toulon), as part of a "relaunch plan" aimed at "ensure the sustainability of its activities," he announced Tuesday.
The group, which also provides for "the adaptation and pooling of certain support functions", did not specify the number of positions threatened but indicated that its priority was "to support the employees concerned by this project with appropriate measures and "
"He will also call on a partner to find buyers" of the stores.
"Transform your model to stop losses"
The Printemps group, founded in 1865, and which owns 19 department stores in France to its name, as well as eight Citadium stores, employs some 3,000 people.
“For several years,” he explains, “it has been evolving in a structurally difficult market that has deteriorated by the succession of economic crises (attacks, demonstrations by yellow vests, strikes)”, not to mention the coronavirus epidemic which has drastically reduced tourist flows.
He says he is "under the obligation to transform his model to stop losses, adapt to market requirements and ensure its long-term sustainability".
It intends in particular "to strengthen the differentiation of its offer," to redevelop its customer base. "And plans 40 million euros invested each year over" the next two to three years ".
According to the CGT and the CFDT, these closures represent 450 job cuts.
"We had a CSE this morning, 450 jobs are affected by an employment rescue plan, including 330 in Printemps stores and 120 at Citadium," Jean-Jacques Liebert, central CGT union delegate, told AFP .
This figure has been confirmed by the CFDT.