Legal & Institutional
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ArticleSkechers sues Rockport for alleged patent infringement
Skechers filed a lawsuit on Sept. 4 in the Southern District of New York, accusing Rockport, its parent company, Authentic Brands Group (ABG), and its licensee, Marc Fisher Footwear, of selling shoes that allegedly infringe on its slip-in technology. “Rockport shoes infringe Skechers’ utility patent claims protecting innovations associated with ...
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ArticleEsprit’s Austrian subsidiary files for bankruptcy
Esprit’s Austrian subsidiary, Esprit Handelsgesellschaft m.b.H., has filed for bankruptcy at the Salzburg Regional Court. The announcement follows the insolvency application filed in May by the parent company Esprit Europe GmbH, headquartered in Ratingen, Germany. The bankruptcy affects 12 directly operated stores across Austria and approximately 170 employees. ...
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ArticleArmani, Dior under investigation for working conditions at suppliers
The Italian competition authority, AGCM, said that it has launched an investigation against the luxury goods groups Giorgio Armani and Christian Dior for alleged “unfair commercial practices.” According to the watchdog, “in some cases”, the companies may have used suppliers employing workers who may have received “inadequate wages”. In addition, ...
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ArticlePölking ends insolvency proceedings
The German shoe wholesaler Pölking has completed its insolvency proceedings after 14 months of self-administration. The proceedings were lifted by the Osnabrück District Court after creditors in early May approved the company’s insolvency plan. As part of the reorganization, Pölking acquired four stores of its sister company Lemax ...
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ArticleGerman court rejects Birkenstock appeal against Rafting Goldstar
The Italian shoe brand Rafting Goldstar has won a long-running legal dispute with the German shoe manufacturer Birkenstock. On May 2, the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) rejected an appeal by the Rhineland-Palatinate-based sandal maker, centered on a sole design. The court declared the appeal unfounded, ...
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ArticleCreditors approve Galeria’s restructuring plan
Another hurdle has been cleared on Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof’s path to recovery. The creditors of the troubled German department store chain approved its pending reorganization plan, insolvency administrator Stefan Denkhaus said on following a creditors’ meeting. The clearance is a significant step towards the completion of Galeria’s insolvency proceedings, ...
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European Chemical Agency apologizes for misleading claims on leather goods
Following the complaint of the European leather and footwear industries, the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) formally apologized for wrongly conveying the impression that leather goods or footwear have possible cancer-causing properties because of the use of chromium VI (Cr VI), the Confederation of National Associations of Tanners and Dressers of ...
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ArticleUS regulator moves to block Tapestry’s acquisition of Capri
On April 22, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) decided to sue to block Tapestry’s $8.5 billion acquisition of Capri Holdings. However, the companies plan to defend their case in court and to complete the transaction by the end of 2024. “If allowed, the deal would eliminate direct head-to-head competition ...
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ArticleFDRA calls on US president to remove duties on Chinese footwear imports
Matt Priest, the president and CEO of Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA), is urging the US president, Joe Biden, to remove by executive order Section 301 import tariffs imposed on China. In an open letter to Biden, Priest wrote that “retail footwear prices have risen sharply since implementation ...
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ArticleAllbirds urged to bolster its share price by Nasdaq
On April 2, Allbirds was notified by Nasdaq that its share price was no longer compliant with the rules of the New York-based stock exchange because the closing bid price of its Class A common stock has fallen below $1.00 per share for 30 consecutive days. Allbirds has 180 calendar ...
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ArticleAsos, Boohoo, George at Asda commit to green claim rules in the UK
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that Asos, Boohoo and George at Asda have signed undertakings that commit them to an agreed set of rules around the use of green claims. The regulator also issued an open letter urging fashion retailers to review their claims and practices in ...
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ArticleUFG files for bankruptcy
Unlimited Footwear Group (UFG) has unexpectedly filed for bankruptcy in the Netherlands. The proceedings started on Feb. 20 and a Breda-based court appointed an administrator. The announcement comes as a shock as UFG’s stand was bustling with activity at Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags, an international trade show specializing in ...
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ArticleHow French retailers can save up to a year’s rent on their lease
In a comprehensive interview, Tanguy Pissembon, a Paris-based legal counsel in real estate, explains how commercial tenants in France can significantly save on their rents when renewing their leases by properly using the country’s legislation.
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ArticleAlviero Martini under court administration amid supply chain labor exploitation charges
Alviero Martini has been placed under court administration by the Milan court, following a probe that found its supply chain relied on Chinese sweatshops that exploited workers to produce the Italian fashion house’s accessories and shoes. The probe was initiated by the public prosecutors Paolo Storari and Luisa Baima Bollone ...
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ArticleMinelli partially saved
The French footwear retailer Minelli is being acquired by three investors and avoids going into liquidation, the news agency AFP reported citing a decision by a Marseille-based commercial tribunal. However, the investors will only keep a third of Minelli’s employees and less than half its stores. The retailer, rebranded Maison ...
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CEC welcomes EU comprise on ecodesign
The European Footwear Confederation (CEC) welcomed a compromise reached on Dec. 4 between the European Parliament and the European Council regarding proposed legislation on ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation launched by the European Commission on March 30, 2022. It also believes that the forthcoming legislation could relaunch leather as a ...
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ArticleEU to ban the destruction of unsold clothing and footwear
During the night of Dec. 4, the European Parliament and the European Council reached a provisional agreement, at a technical level, on revising the European Union’s ecodesign framework for sustainable products, the parliament said. The parties plan to introduce “ecodesign” rules for products, ban the destruction of unsold clothing and ...
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CEC elects Rosana Perán as president
The general assembly of the European Footwear Confederation (CEC) held on Dec. 1 in Elche, Spain, elected Rosana Perán, as its president for the next two years. She is the first woman to head CEC and succeeds Luis Onofre, president of the Portuguese footwear association, Apiccaps. Perán is president of ...
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ArticleAustrian children’s shoe manufacturer Richter files for bankruptcy
The Austrian company Ferdinand Richter, the oldest children’s shoe manufacturer in Europe, has filed for bankruptcy with the Graz regional court. The company, which is based in Pasching, near Linz, with management in Graz, is however planning to continue operations, according to media reports. Ferdinand Richter has around €7.9 ...
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ArticlePrada’s footwear sales slow down sharply in Q3
In the first nine months of 2023, footwear sales for Prada Group in the retail channel rose by 16 percent year-over-year at constant currency rates to €556 million. Shoes represented 19 percent of the group’s retail sales. In the sole third quarter, footwear sales grew by 10 percent, half the ...
