The fate of Habitat and its 550 employees will be sealed before Christmas. The judicial administrators of the furniture brand obtained a hearing at the Bobigny commercial court on Wednesday, December 20, to “request judicial liquidation” of the furniture brand owned by Thierry Le Guénic, confirmed to World one of its spokespersons after the revelation of this hypothesis by the news site MediapartThursday December 14.
Already almost dry, the company’s cash flow collapsed the day after it was placed in receivership on November 30. Indeed, faced with multiple incidents with customers whose orders will not be honored, the staff of the twenty-five stores exercised their right of withdrawal and closed all of the points of sale operated directly in France. (several other points of sale operate under franchise in Spain, Switzerland and Monaco).
Redeemed for 1 symbolic euro in 2020
At the beginning of December, without convincing the staff representatives, including those of the CGT, Mr. Le Guénic assured that he would be able to present a continuation plan as part of the judicial recovery procedure. The businessman bought the Habitat company from the Cafom group (franchised businesses operated overseas, merchant sites) for a symbolic euro in 2020; its cash flow was then replenished to the tune of 15 million euros.
Mr. Le Guénic is, moreover, faced with the difficulties of Burton of London, another brand taken over in 2020, which he claimed to turn around. Placed in safeguard procedure in October 2022, the chain was restructured in February, with the closure of twenty-six of its one hundred and nine points of sale. This cost reduction plan was not enough. Eight months later, she was placed in receivership. And, in the absence of a candidate for its takeover, the Paris commercial court had accepted that the manager present a plan for the continuation of the company. After extending the company’s observation period, the judges must examine this plan on January 31.