BHV placed under court-supervised restructuring as unions hope for new buyer

A Paris business court has placed the company operating BHV Marais and the Westfield Parly 2 store into judicial reorganisation, affecting around 660 jobs. Unions hope the process will bring in a new owner and mark a break from the store’s recent management.

3 Nov 2026

The Paris Court of Economic Activities placed the company operating the BHV Marais department store and its Westfield Parly 2 counterpart near Versailles into judicial reorganisation on Monday, November 2. Around 660 jobs are affected, half the number employed when Frédéric Merlin took over BHV from Galeries Lafayette in 2023, according to the report.

The unions hope the court-supervised process will lead to a new buyer and a change in management. Merlin sold the business in June to his deputy, Karl-Stéphane Cottendin, and members of the management team, but retained the BHV brand.

The report notes that BHV was already struggling when Merlin acquired it. It argues that the decision to bring Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein into the store in November 2025 intensified the crisis. The move, which placed Shein on the department store’s sixth floor, drew widespread opposition.

Sources: Le Monde Économie.