In 1990, Celio’s slogan was: “Fashion, I don’t care. “ Thirty-one years later, the men’s clothing brand is reviving this spirit. “Be normal” (“Be normal”), says his latest campaign, which features a man unable to fit into his jeans “After three confinements and twenty barbecues”. “It is about equipping all those who want to dress without being a victim of fashion”, says Sébastien Bismuth, its president since August 2020.
Celio intends to become a “Popular and accessible brand”, he asserts. In June 2020, a few weeks after the end of the first confirm due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the leader in men’s ready-to-wear in France requested the opening of a safeguard procedure with the court of Bobigny (Seine -St Denis). “It was a question of survival”, affirms Mr. Bismuth, recalling that the company was then faced with debt difficulties, business model as well as falling sales.
Its restructuring plan was ” drastic “. It has since closed 102 stores, including those dedicated to costume, to bring its fleet to 350 points of sale in France, at the cost of 380 job cuts.
The management of the sign owned by its founders, Laurent and Marc Grosman, since 1978, announced Thursday, October 14, to exit this safeguard procedure. “This step was necessary”, notes Joannes Soënen, CEO of Celio, admitting to having to “Now transform the test”. The brand’s turnover is expected to reach 500 million euros in 2021.
Price pressure
Its main competitor, Jules, a subsidiary of Happychic, a group owned by the Mulliez Family Association (AFM), must also succeed in its transformation, which began in 2018. A job protection plan had then led to the elimination of 466 jobs. . The brand has closed 80 of its stores. Today, it operates 475 of them. After a year 2020 marked by a loss of turnover of 130 million euros, 2021 should end with “From 90 million to 100 million euros” in less, specifies Franck Poillon, its managing director. In 2019, its sales reached 574 million euros.
The French no longer want to buy new clothes. Many are turning to second-hand purchases, especially on the Vinted app
These two figures of men’s fashion – Celio and Jules respectively hold 5.8% and 5.2% of the market share – are facing radical changes in the sector. “The French market has not been doing well for several years. And today he is struggling to recover ”, recalls Hélène Janicaud, head of fashion studies at Kantar. Valued at 6.6 billion euros, annual sales were down 11.8% at the end of August 2021 in France compared to 2019.
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