Dutch fashion chain Gimbrere to close four branches

By

Shomara Roosblad

Published
Oct 18, 2018

Dutch fashion chain Gimbrère will be closing four of its branches based in Tilburg, Roermond, Bergen op Zoom and Oosterhout following 180 years of operations.

The retailer told local newspaper Brabants Dagblad that it can no longer compete with larger chains such as H&M, C&A and Coolcat. Moving forward, Gimbrère will focus on two affiliates in the smaller villages of Ulvenhout and Meerssen: ZJIM Mode and Michelle and Michel. The latter shop will also do away with its menswear department and emphasis on its women’s range. The online store will  remain in business.

Alexander Gimbrère, director of the family-owned retailer told the newspaper: “It is hard for us to leave Tilburg especially. It was a decision by the whole family.  It was a process: it didn’t take us weeks or months, but years.”

The retailer, which has a workforce of 80 people, said that it aims to prevent layoffs and focuses on its employees in the coming months. Some personnel will be relocated to the remaining branches.

The Tilburg-based store will remain open until February 2019. The headquarters will move from the city of Tilburg to smaller town Goirle, where the warehouse is also located.

According to Brabants Dagblad, Gimbrère is the oldest family business based in Tilburg. Founder Jean François Gimbrère started in 1839 with an umbrella factory at the Wilhelminapark, which moved to the current location at the Heuvelstraat a year later. There, the company started to offer raincoats and costumes. From the 1960s onwards, the business grew into a fashion chain, offering collections for men and women as well as lifestyle products such as coffee table books. At its peak, Gimbrère operated 12 branches. The chain is especially well-known in the south of the Netherlands.