Placed in receivership on March 29, the fate of Clergerie, one of France’s last remaining shoe manufacturers, is hanging in the balance. A court decision on June 14 is eagerly awaited by the company’s employees and its historic founder, Robert Clergerie. His son, Damien, is calling on the major players in the luxury goods industry to take an interest in the case.
Last March, Clergerie was placed in receivership by the Paris Commercial Court. The shoe manufacturer, based in Romans-sur-Isère in the Drôme region of France, had been suffering from poor cash flow and high losses since 2020. In the end, the company was unable to find “solutions in bonis” during the “conciliation procedure opened” between its shareholders and creditors.
“It’s my life’s work, it was my business”, said Robert Clergerie. The founder of the brand bearing his name – created in 1981 and sold in 2011 – was indeed “moved and touched” by the decision to place the company in receivership.
“The Clergerie brand will of course be sold”, says the 89-year-old shoemaker, because “it still has value, it’s a beautiful trophy that will be butchered, and that’s what I’d like to avoid.”
Possible buyers
On June 14, the Paris Commercial Court will be examining potential buyers. To date, no candidate has made a public statement. However, five partial bids were submitted to the clerk’s office between the end of April and the end of May, which AFP was able to consult. Some of these have since been withdrawn, creating uncertainty as to whether the remaining bids will go ahead.
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Featured photo : © Clergerie
