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C&A
International chain of clothing stores From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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C&A is a multinational chain of retail clothing stores that originated in the Netherlands. It now has European head offices in Vilvoorde, Belgium, and Düsseldorf, Germany. The company operates approximately 1,250 stores in Europe and 330 in Brazil, as well as websites for online shopping. In Brazil, C&A is operated through a joint venture, C&A Modas S.A., which is listed on the B3 stock exchange in São Paulo.[3] It also licenses the C&A name for stores in Mexico and China, which are under different ownership.[4]
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History
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Foundation
The Brenninkmeyer family had traded in linen and textiles since the 17th century from Mettingen, Germany. In 1841, a Dutch textile firm was founded in Sneek by brothers Clemens and August Brenninkmeijer, 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 the Catholic 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 the 1974 FIFA World Cup. In 1978, C&A sponsored cycling through Eddy Merckx's team, taking over from Fiat France.[citation needed]
Development since 2000
In June 2000, 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 name C&A Modes.[8][9][10][11][12][13] The last UK retail stores closed in 2001.[14][15] Primark bought six C&A stores.[16] At the same time, C&A closed its two Irish stores, in Dublin and Belfast.[17]
In June 2009, C&A withdrew from the Argentinian market.[18]
In the summer of 2010, Beyoncé released a clothing line, House of Deréon, in cooperation with C&A.[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 Alfar, owner of the Mexican Cuidado con el Perro stores.[21] On 20 August 2020, C&A sold C&A China to Zhongke Tongrong Private Equity to operate the stores via franchising.[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 the COVID-19 pandemic.[24][25] In June 2022, C&A began selling clothing via Amazon.[26][27] Also 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]
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Corporate affairs
Ownership
The company name is derived from the initials of its founders, Clemens (1818–1902) and August (1819–1892) Brenninkmeijer. The Brenninkmeijer family owns C&A through a Swiss firm named COFRA 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 in Geneva and Zug, Switzerland.[30]
Brands
C&A's brands, under which several of its goods are sold, include Angelo Litrico, Avanti, Clockhouse, Here+There, Palomino, Rodeo, Westbury, Yessica, Yessica Pure, and Your Sixth Sense.
Criticism
In December 2021, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights filed a criminal complaint in a Dutch court against C&A and other brands, including Lidl and Hugo Boss, alleging that they benefited from and were complicit in the use of forced labour by Uyghurs in Xinjiang.[31]
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Locations
As of 2025, C&A had stores in the following countries:[32]
Stores
In Spain, C&A reduced its footprint over time. In 2017 it closed 23 stores as part of a restructuring.[36] In June 2023 the company announced the closure of five additional stores.[37][38] In the 2023–24 financial year, the chain reported 80 points of sale in Spain. By mid-2025, its website listed 73.[39]
In May and June 2017, the company closed four stores in the Netherlands due to poor sales.[40]
In France, C&A announced several rounds of closures. In April 2019 it planned to close 14 stores,[41] followed in January 2020 by plans for 30 additional closures.[42] The Paris flagships on Boulevard Haussmann and Rue de Rivoli later closed, with the process completed in February 2023.[43] In March 2025 the company announced a plan to close 24 stores and 57 shop-in-shops (inside hypermarkets).[44]
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In popular culture
- The Specials referenced C&A in "Man at C&A" on the 1980 album More Specials. The phrase "Man at C&A" was later used to typify someone who was unfashionable.[7][45][46]
- In an episode of the sitcom Only Fools and Horses, Del Boy tells his brother Rodney that when they become millionaires, their clothes will "come from Man at C&A".[46]
- The Belle and Sebastian song "Expectations" features a character who is given the choice between working at Debenhams and C&A "cause that's what they expect".[47]
- In Chapter 12 of the novel Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis, where a character at a crowded dance says "Can't we go and sit down for a bit? This is a bit too much like a C. and A. sale for me".
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References
External links
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