The women’s fashion brand has announced its new organisation, following the departure in July of Sandrine Lilienfeld, who was Pimkie’s CEO for only five months. Salih Halassi, president of Pimkinvest, the structure created by Kindy, Lee Cooper France and Ibisler Tekstil to acquire the brand in February 2023, is taking on the role of CEO and appointing Elodie Chelle as deputy general manager.

Salih Halassi, an expert in business turnarounds, stepped down as CEO of Kindy in December 2022 to concentrate on buying Pimkie, which the Mulliez family had sold. He had relaunched Kindy in 2017.

Elodie Chelle comes from Don’t Call Me Jennyfer, where she served as the upstream operations director since 2018 and was in charge of supply chain, offer, and purchasing. The 40-year-old Edhec and IFM graduate previously spent two years as the director of procurement at the lingerie retailer Undiz after serving as a consultant for the retail industry’s leading Aliznet (advising companies like Eram and Gémo).

The goal of the purchasers is still to “make Pimkie the approachable brand preferred by young women, committed to more sustainable consumption, and based on an evolving model that is resilient to market changes.”

By focusing on cost, developing a fresh approach to online storytelling, and bringing production closer together, the firm hopes to have 40 per cent of its items imported from nearby nations by 2025. In terms of CSR, the company aspires to expand second-hand sales to its full network within two years and to offer 100 per cent eco-designed products for its essentials line by three years.

A savings plan is also on the agenda. It involves the elimination of 64 stores and 257 positions over the period 2023-2027. With a network of 426 stores, 302 of which are in France, Pimkie generated sales of € 319 million in 2022, according to the company.