On Saturday, June 1, a strike affected 23 Naf Naf women’s ready-to-wear stores out of a total of 111 across the country. Among the closed stores were the Parisian boutique on rue de Rivoli, as well as stores in Caen, Thionville, Grenoble, and Cannes. The strike was initiated by the South union, a minority within the company, ahead of a hearing scheduled for Tuesday at the Bobigny commercial court to examine takeover offers for the chain, which has been in receivership since last September.
One of the striking saleswomen expressed weariness with the recurring difficulties faced by Naf Naf, including previous social plans and the current restructuring. The brand, under the ownership of businessman Selçuk Yilmaz since 2020, has faced closures and layoffs. The potential buyer, Migiboy Tekstil, operates spinning, fabric, and clothing manufacturing factories and sees an opportunity in Naf Naf boutiques for its production. However, some employees do not believe in this plan and have started striking movement against it.
Of the three takeover offers received by Naf Naf so far one from Turkish textile industrialist Migiboy Tekstil is seen as promising recovery plan that will retain 99 stores out of 111 and 505 employees out of 579. The South union claims that its members are opposing this proposal because they do not want to be taken back by a new owner or return to their old jobs after being laid off during restructuring process. The CFDT union also did not call for strike but respects each employee’s right to choose whether they want to participate in it or not.
The strike comes at a crucial time for Naf Naf as it is seeking a way forward amidst financial challenges. It is hoped that this decision made by stakeholders will help secure a future for all those involved with this brand
