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C&A

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the clothing retailer C&A. For other uses, seeC&A (disambiguation).
Not to be confused withCanda.

C&A
Company typeSubsidiary
B3:CEAB3(only the unit in Brazil, C&A Modas SA)[1]
IndustryRetail
Founded1841;183 years ago(1841)
(inSneek,Netherlands)
FoundersClemens and AugustBrenninkmeijer
HeadquartersVilvoorde,Belgium
Düsseldorf,Germany
Number of locations
1290 (2022)[2]
Area served
Much of Continental Europe, Brazil, plus China and Mexico via licenses
Key people
Giny Boer,CEOof C&A Europe
ProductsApparel/footwear specialty
Number of employees
50,000
ParentCOFRA Holding AG
Websitewww.c-and-a
C&A store inSneek,Netherlands
C&A store in Berlin, with theSwissôtel Berlinon the upper floors
C&ABarcelona,Pelai54, Can Damians Bldg.(ca,es)

C&Ais a multinational chain ofretailclothing stores that originated in theNetherlands.It now has European head offices inVilvoorde,Belgium, andDüsseldorf,Germany. The company operates approximately 1,300 stores in Europe and approximately 300 stores in Brazil, as well as websites foronline shopping.It also licenses the C&A name for stores in Mexico and China, which are under different ownership.[3]C&A's brands includeAngelo Litrico,Avanti, Clockhouse, Here+There, Palomino, Rodeo (ski and snowboard clothes), Westbury, Yessica, Yessica Pure, and Your Sixth Sense.

The company name is derived from the initials of its founders, Clemens (1818–1902) and August (1819–1892) Brenninkmeijer. TheBrenninkmeijer familyowns C&A through a Swiss firm namedCOFRA Holding AG.The company's success has led the Brenninkmeijer family to be ranked among the wealthiest in the Netherlands, but most members of the family actually live inGenevaandZug,Switzerland.[4]

History

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The Brenninkmeyer family had traded in linen and textiles since the 17th century fromMettingen,Germany. In 1841, a Dutch textile firm was founded inSneekby brothers Clemens and AugustBrenninkmeijer,later taking its company name from the initials of the founders. The family was very secretive, in part to avoid customs scrutiny, and upon reaching age 14, male members of the family were given the choice of working for C&A or joining theCatholic priesthood.In 1906, Clemens' son, Bernard Joseph, started operating in Amsterdam. By 1910, there were ten C&A stores in the Netherlands.[5]

In 1974, C&A was one of the sponsors of the1974 FIFA World Cup.In 1978, C&A sponsored cycling throughEddy Merckx's team, taking over from Fiat France.

In 2000, due to competition fromTescoandAsda,as well as from expanding high street names such asH&M,ZaraandTopshop,C&A announced its withdrawal from the British market, where it had been operating since 1922, had 109 stores,[6][7]and had used the nameC&A Modes.[8][9][10][11][12][13]The last UK retail stores closed in 2001.[14][15]Primarkbought six C&A stores.[16]

In June 2009, C&A withdrew from the Argentinian market.[17]

In the summer of 2010,Beyoncéreleased a clothing line,House of Deréon,in cooperation with C&A.[18]

In May and June 2017, the company closed four stores in the Netherlands due to poor sales.[19]

In February 2020, Grupo Axo agreed to buy C&A Mexico,[20]but cancelled the contract in March 2021. In June 2023 C&A Mexico was sold to Grupo Alfra, owner of the MexicanCuidado con el Perrostores.[21]

On 20 August 2020, C&A sold C&A China to Zhongke Tongrong Private Equity to operate the stores viafranchising.[22]

In 2021 and 2022, the company closed 70 stores and stated the goal of having half of its sales come from online channels by 2026.[23]

In March 2022, the company shut its Canda brand, which produced formalwear, due to the decline in sales as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[24][25]

In June 2022, C&A began selling clothing viaAmazon.[26][27]

In July 2022, it was discovered that C&A's Serbian division was the victim of customs fraud on the import of goods from China. The unpaid duties led to the Serbian division filing bankruptcy and closing its 14 stores.[28][29]

Controversies

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In December 2021, theEuropean Center for Constitutional and Human Rightsfiled a criminal complaint in a Dutch court against C&A and other brands, includingLidlandHugo Boss,alleging that they benefited from and were complicit in the use offorced labourbyUyghursinXin gian g.[30]

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The Specialsreferenced C&A in "Man at C&A" on the 1980 albumMore Specials.The phrase "Man at C&A" was later used to typify someone who was unfashionable.[7][31][32]

In an episode of the sitcomOnly Fools and Horses,Del Boytells his brother Rodney that when they become millionaires, their clothes will "come from Man at C&A".[32]

TheBelle and Sebastiansong "Expectations" features a character who is given the choice between working atDebenhamsand C&A "cause that's what they expect".[33]

Stores

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C&A has stores in the following countries. Figures are for June 2023[34]except China (May 2023) and Brazil (December 2023).

Country No.
of
stores 		As of
Austria 93 June 2023 [34]
Belgium 97 June 2023 [34]
Brazil 330+ Dec. 2023 [35]
China 23 May 2023 [36]
Croatia 23 June 2023 [34]
Czechia 40 June 2023 [34]
France 164 June 2023 [34]
Germany 403 June 2023 [34]
Hungary 34 June 2023 [34]
Iraq 1 June 2023 [34]
Italy 10 June 2023 [34]
Luxembourg 7 June 2023 [34]
Mexico 78 June 2023 [37]
Netherlands 97 June 2023 [34]
Poland 51 June 2023 [34]
Portugal 27 June 2023 [34]
Romania 50 June 2023 [34]
Slovakia 15 June 2023 [34]
Slovenia 14 June 2023 [34]
Spain 81 June 2023 [34]
Switzerland 89 June 2023 [34]
Total ca. 1727+

References

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  1. ^"Dutch fashion retailer C&A, shareholders to raise about $445 million in Brazil IPO".Reuters.Retrieved17 November2023.
  2. ^"C&A sluit in jaar tijd bijna 70 winkels".RetailTrends(in Dutch). 14 October 2022.
  3. ^"Stores".c-and-a.
  4. ^Loeb, Walter (18 July 2016)."Highly Secretive C&A Brenninkmeijer Is A Global Powerhouse In Fashion Retailing".Forbes.
  5. ^"C&A – a success story".C&A.Archivedfrom the original on 4 March 2011.
  6. ^"C&A closes down UK stores".The Guardian.15 June 2000.
  7. ^abCope, Nigel (16 June 2000)."C&A, a sad tale of the high-street store that went from Coats and 'Ats to Closure and Acrimony".The Independent.
  8. ^C&A Modes Part I: Getting Establishedbuildingourpast, 3 January 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2023
  9. ^Remember C&A? The fashion giant known for low prices that was a town centre stapleTeessideLive,24 October 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2023
  10. ^The C&A UK Marketing Archive: ‘Where the mode of the moment costs less than elsewhere’hatads.org.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2023
  11. ^Lost fashion giant 'famous' for low prices where 'everyone used to go'Liverpool Echo,23 October 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2023
  12. ^Lost Edinburgh: C&A Modes FireThe Scotsman,23 April 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2023
  13. ^Case: Moore v C&A Modes [1981] IRLR 71lawjournals.co.uk, May 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2023
  14. ^Finch, Julia (1 June 2001)."Thread bare C&A closes its last British stores".The Guardian.
  15. ^"C&A quits UK".BBC News.15 June 2000.
  16. ^Marriott, Hannah."How Primark put brand in fashion".PR Week.
  17. ^"C&A Pulls out of Argentina".LatinFinance.30 June 2009.
  18. ^"Beyonce models her own Dereon clothing range for C&A".Daily Mirror.28 May 2010.
  19. ^"C&A set to close four Dutch stores because of poor sales".Dutch News.27 October 2016.
  20. ^"C&A Mexico is sold to rival Grupo Axo".Fashion Network.20 February 2020.
  21. ^Celis, Fernanda (15 June 2023)."Cuidado con el Perro adquiere C&A México, tras desistimiento de Axo"[Cuidado con el Perro acquires C&A Mexico, after Axo pulls out].axisnegocios(in Spanish).Retrieved21 December2023.
  22. ^"C&A AG sells its China operations to Zhongke Tongrong Private Equity".c-and-a(Press release). 20 August 2020.
  23. ^Van Rompaey, Stefan (7 November 2022)."Why C&A has to slim down".Retail Detail.
  24. ^Husband, Laura (22 March 2022)."C&A's Canda International unit to close as formalwear popularity wanes".Just Style.
  25. ^Mira, Nicola (23 March 2022)."C&A closes down formal wear subsidiary Canda International".Fashion Network.
  26. ^Van Rompaey, Stefan (30 June 2022)."C&A launches on Amazon Fashion".Retail Detail.
  27. ^Forrest, Fi (30 June 2022)."C&A launches online offering with Amazon Fashion".Just Style.
  28. ^Neerman, Pauline (15 July 2022)."C&A in Serbia bankrupt due to large-scale customs fraud".Retail Detail.
  29. ^Bjelotomic, Snezana (8 July 2022)."What will happen to C&A workers in Serbia?".Serbian Monitor.
  30. ^Adegeest, Don-Alvin (6 December 2021)."Nike, Patagonia named in European lawsuit as being complicit in 'forced labour' practices in Xin gian g, China".FashionUnited.
  31. ^"C&A closes UK doors for last time".BBC News.31 May 2001.
  32. ^abDoyle, Dave (23 June 2022)."Here's what happened to the much-loved Bournemouth C&A store".Reach plc.
  33. ^"EXPECTATIONS".Belle and Sebastian.
  34. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrs"C&A".ChainXY.Retrieved19 December2023..
  35. ^"Nossa história"[Our History].C&A Brazil(in Brazilian Portuguese).Retrieved21 December2023.Atualmente, operamos com mais de 330 lojas em todo o território nacional
  36. ^Team, Dao (25 May 2023)."C&A gears up to reclaim presence in Beijing with new store".Dao Insights.Retrieved21 December2023.
  37. ^"Press release: Grupo Alfar to acquire C&A Mexico and support growth strategy"(PDF).COFRA Holding.15 June 2023.Retrieved21 December2023.
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