Market Square: 1,900 workers on the floor? – Economy
Greeted by whistles from workers on Wednesday, the 48-hour deliberative decision was based on the “importance of the file and the number of employees” by the president of the commercial court, social and welfare secretary Wafaa Kohily said. Committee on Economic (CSE). But “there is no hope of recovery,” he said. This was confirmed by the company’s president, Brieuc Fruchon. “Specifically, our priority is to work through this termination and support workers as much as possible with state services so that they can recover as quickly as possible.”
“Anger” and “Anxiety”
Wafaa Kohily expressed the “anger” and “general concern” of the “1,600 families who will find themselves on the ground” at the Place du Marché, not counting the 300 employees of sister companies Eismann and Touparlog.
“The judge treated various appeals related to the protection of workers with sufficient attention. We clearly ask for our dignity to be respected,” he said, and demanded an extrajudicial severance bonus of 100,000 euros per employee, “taking into account the legacy of the Bahadurs.”
Again, some people’s investment comes before a broken life
Two brothers, Léo and Patrick Bahadourian, shareholders of the flourishing Grand Frais brand, took over Toupargel in 2020 through their holding company Agihold France, but “refused” to attend the court hearing. “Again, capital for some comes before broken lives,” he said.
Aging customers
After the takeover, the company was renamed Place du Marché in 2021 with the intention of expanding its offering beyond frozen food to fresh produce and groceries. Some of the products distributed came from the same suppliers as Grand Frais. While the project also aims to accelerate online sales, the company built its model on phone sales.
But this strategy failed. “The average age of our customers is quite high, many are over 70 and don’t have access to the internet or know how to use the internet. The name change also worried him. And finally, the vast majority came for frozen foods, “explains Lise Delaizé, CGT representative, telemarketer for 24 years.
Thus, a hundred call centers routed the area, especially the rural areas where part of the home delivery was allocated, from three main platforms. “For many people in rural areas,” the Place du Marché, “it was also a human touch,” a former customer moved on Wednesday in a petition that has gathered nearly 12,000 signatures.
Few mass distribution companies have actually succeeded in going digital
An underdeveloped model
“The model has not evolved for 30 years, since then other alternatives have emerged, especially driving. Even in rural areas, people are used to one-stop shopping where they can find all the necessary products in one place. In addition, there has been no renewal among customers,” notes Yves Marin, associated with consumer goods consulting firm Bartle.
“Few companies from the mass distribution sector have really succeeded in going digital. The main successes of e-commerce are due to new players”, – confirms another consultant of the sector. “For brands like Lidl, the country of choice, more rural areas, are also very price sensitive,” he says, pointing to the need to adhere to precise schedules for home delivery, which he says is perfectly successful. Picnic start-up founded in Holland France.
Many conflicting elements have led to a decline in sales, which fell from €271 million in 2017 to €200 million in 2021-2022.
One of the most important social plans of recent months
The liquidation, if approved, would lead to one of the biggest social plans in recent months, following the 1,200 jobs (2,300 employees) announced at Camaïeu in September (2,100 employees) and at the end of December at Scopelect. in communication technologies.
