Jennyfer, icon of teen ready-to-wear since 1984, was placed in judicial liquidation on April 30, 2025. This judicial decision comes after a long period of economic fragility. It ends an attempt at commercial recovery initiated in 2023. Thus, nearly 1,000 jobs in fashion are now threatened, in France and internationally, in a context where the entire textile sector is undergoing a radical transformation.
The announcement was made at the Bobigny commercial court. However, it authorized the continuation of activity until May 28, 2025. This grace period aims to allow for the potential presentation of takeover offers. However, unions consider these probabilities low, citing a saturated ready-to-wear market and an obsolete economic model.
Unsuccessful revival efforts
In 2024, the brand’s management attempted a strategic revival. It abandoned its controversial rebranding under the name Don’t Call Me Jennyfer, initiated in 2019 to win back post-millennial teenagers. The return to the name Jennyfer was accompanied by a 15 million euro investment and the entry of a Chinese shareholder, Shanghai Pure Fashion Garments Co Ltd, specializing in low-cost textile production.
An employment protection plan (PSE) was implemented, eliminating 75 positions without closing any sales outlets. The strategy relied on a modernization of the brand image. Additionally, it included a marketing repositioning towards 15-24 year-olds. Finally, it aimed to strengthen the presence on fashion social networks. However, these initiatives were not enough to restore a structural profitability undermined for several years. The high cost structure and the inability to renew the offer at a competitive pace exacerbated the decline.
Aggressive competition and rising costs
The management points to several structural factors. Sustained inflation has weakened margins. Moreover, the increase in transport and textile production costs has had an impact. Additionally, the collapse of purchasing power among young consumers has also contributed to this situation. Furthermore, the rise of international competition in textiles, driven by platforms like Shein and Temu, has disrupted traditional distribution models.
These new players impose an ultra fast-fashion, based on production cycles of a few days, unbeatable prices, and massive influencer marketing. Faced with this digital and commercial revolution, Jennyfer failed to react. It found itself stuck between a too generic positioning and slow logistics. This delay ultimately rendered its economic model unsuited to contemporary expectations of the fashion sector.
Precarious and angry employees
The union reaction was swift. CGT Services described the announcement as "violent and brutal". It accuses the management of lack of transparency. Additionally, it reproaches the State for passivity, despite repeated warnings about the group’s difficulties. The union laments a lack of sectoral support. Moreover, the textile industry in France has been undergoing a systemic crisis for several years.
In medium-sized cities like Laval, where Jennyfer had been established for several decades, the shock is profound. Loyal customers, mothers and teenagers, express their incomprehension. The store was an accessible commercial landmark, offering affordable fashion, in line with the aspirations of young consumers.
A fast-fashion symbol in peril
The fall of Jennyfer is part of a broader collapse. Camaïeu, Kookaï, San Marina, Pimkie: so many emblematic names of popular ready-to-wear today in difficulty or disappeared. All faced with the same explosive mix: post-pandemic, galloping inflation, high fixed costs, and the rise of circular consumption and eco-responsible fashion.
Founded in the mid-80s, Jennyfer embodied a carefree and consumerist youth. The brand still achieved 250 million euros in annual turnover recently, with 220 sales outlets in France. But the weight of debt, the erosion of the teenage clientele, and the lack of understanding of new online shopping practices have shaken its foundations.
A bankruptcy revealing a disruption
The liquidation of Jennyfer stands as a major symptom of the upheaval in the textile and fast-fashion sector. The model of low-cost fashion based on mass production is reaching its limits. Faced with a connected, engaged, and mobile Generation Z, brands must rethink their fundamentals. Indeed, the changing ready-to-wear market demands this adaptation to survive.
Now, the entire textile value chain must be reinvented. This includes an agile logistics and authentic communication. Moreover, verifiable ecological commitments are essential. Finally, a hybrid shopping experience must align with new expectations. Otherwise, the French ready-to-wear landscape will continue to disintegrate.
A youth affected once again
Jennyfer primarily targeted 10-24 year-olds, an age group already affected by precariousness, difficulties in accessing employment, and the impoverishment of purchasing power. Its disappearance illustrates a form of disengagement of the fashion market towards the youngest, often perceived as volatile but trendsetters. Increasingly, they favor second-hand, digital thrift stores like Vinted, and low-cost Asian platforms, deemed more suited to their means and aspirations.
The closure of Jennyfer is not just another episode in the economic chronicles of retail. It embodies a cultural and economic rupture, a fundamental shift in clothing practices, and a wake-up call for historic brands. A turning point that the fashion sector can no longer ignore if it wants to remain relevant.