Toys: JouéClub will take over almost all of La Grande Récré

Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credits: Martin Bertrand / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 17:00 p.m., June 09, 2023

The toy brand JouéClub was appointed Friday by the Paris Commercial Court to take over almost all the stores and employees of its competitor La Grande Récré, whose parent company is the subject of a liquidation procedure, announced the buyer to AFP. JouéClub "takes over 750 of the 770 employees of the stores and headquarters" of La Grande Récré, "89 of the 101 integrated stores as well as the 48 franchise agreements active in France and abroad. Most of the staff of the stores not taken over will be reassigned to another store La Grande Récré, "said the buyer in a statement.

>> LISTEN ALSO - Simple toy: the first deposit for toys

More than 1,100 jobs preserved, according to JouéClub

In total, JouéClub claims to "preserve more than 1,100 direct and indirect jobs", for a recovery project whose "amount is 50 million euros". JouéClub - a cooperative that defines itself as the largest French network of independent toy professionals with 283 stores in France - says its project is "the relaunch of the La Grande Récré brand, which is a reference player for the French toy market".

The buyer wishes to specify that the two networks "will remain independent of each other, with a specific brand positioning, periphery and family-oriented for JouéClub, urban and child-oriented for La Grande Récré". In April, "at his request", Ludendo Entreprises - parent company of La Grande Récré and which belongs to the galaxy of businessman Michel Ohayon - had obtained from the court the opening of a liquidation procedure concerning it, "with maintenance and continuation of the activity" of the toy brand "in order to allow its recovery".

King Jouet had also positioned itself

Thursday evening, in a statement to AFP, Michel Ohayon had expressed his "preference" for JouéClub "on all candidates for acquisition". The number of candidates for the resumption of La Grande Récré has not been formalized, but three had made themselves known. In addition to JouéClub, another heavyweight in the sector, King Jouet, had submitted an offer before retracting. The shoe brand Chaussea was also on the ranks with a partial project.

With the merger of the two brands, the French toy sector is experiencing a new stage in its restructuring, after the acquisition in 2020 of the Maxi Toys network by King Jouet, then the takeover in 2022 of the PicWicToys brand (Toys "R" Us) by the Irish group Smyths Toys.