BHV management assured its approximately 3,000 suppliers last Sunday, in an internal letter sent in the midst of a wave of brand departures: no more payment deadlines and cash flow risk for partner brands. By “March 2026, an instant sales commission system” will be deployed at BHV. “You will receive the proceeds from your sales every day, net of commission, in a 100% automated manner, without delays or cash flow risk,” promises the management of the store owned by Frédéric Merlin.
The question of settling unpaid debts, which have been accumulating for several months in the department store on rue de Rivoli in Paris (IVe), is, however, not mentioned. The slate accumulated by the BHV would be estimated at around 7 million euros.
And for many small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), located at BHV or in other shopping malls belonging to the Société des grands grandsmarts (SGM), these payments are a question of survival. The delays which accumulate each month jeopardize the sustainability of the activity, forcing some bosses to take legal action.
Some SMEs forced to lay off workers
“We had to lay off three employees on site, I also sold shares in my company to maintain activity in the face of payment delays,” confides the boss of a small structure on condition of anonymity, without detailing the amount he is still claiming from the BHV management.
In recent weeks, the departure of major brands (Dior, Guerlain, Chanel, Sandro, etc.) has caused widespread reaction, given their economic weight within the department store, which is also a few weeks before Christmas. But if they denounce the unpaid BHV, it is also their reputation that they wish to protect. A radical choice, far from being within the reach of all brands.
“The SMEs that leave do so because of unpaid bills, we don’t have the means to create buzz about preserving our image because of the arrival of Shein,” says another trader.
“We couldn’t pay our VAT”
Present at BHV since 2011, the Emdé brand, specializing in framing and small decoration, has also been weakened by payment delays. “At the end of August, after being seven months late, we were unable to pay our VAT,” says Cédric Dhalluin, the manager of this SME which has four employees at BHV Marais. It was necessary to negotiate a schedule with the Public Treasury to spread out the payment. »
The boss of the company based in the north of France finally took legal action last September, in order to obtain payment of the arrears, or a little less than 300,000 euros. At the beginning of November, the Paris commercial court ordered BHV to pay 150,000 euros to the company. The boss is still waiting for payment of the rest of the amount claimed.
Payment of these delays before the end of the year was an absolute necessity for Emdé. The company is in fact the subject of a judicial recovery procedure and must repay 240,000 euros each year to its creditors. A recovery which must end this year.
“We were delighted to finally get out of this difficult period, but the current situation at BHV adds a lot of uncertainty,” worries Cédric Dhalluin. Sales and attendance are down, and if customers don’t come back, we will have to restructure the company. Our employees in Paris know that if the BHV stops, we have nowhere to relocate them, and that will lead to redundancies. We remain very vigilant,” underlines the business manager.
“I have no illusions”
Sandrine Nagy has been demanding more than 12,000 euros from Frédéric Merlin’s group for several months. At 56 years old, this business leader has run Unebulle d’event since 2004, a company specializing in events within shopping malls in the Ile-de-France region. The boss works alone, and calls on intermittent workers from the entertainment industry to provide her entertainment.
For two years, she has billed for three services in particular, not at BHV but at the Okabé shopping center in Kremlin-Bicêtre (Val-de-Marne) and at SQY Ouest, in Montigny-le-Bretonneux (Yvelines). Two establishments owned by SGM, chaired by Frédéric Merlin. Services for which Sandrine is still waiting to be paid.
“People need to know,” she says indignantly. 12,000 euros, for the big brands we’re talking about, it’s nothing, but for me, it’s huge. My company is in danger because I have no visibility. I am worried because I don’t know if I will be able to pay my bills and my speakers. I haven’t given up on my money, but I have no illusions that I might never see it again. »
Asked by Le Parisien about these payment delays, BHV management did not wish to comment. “Everyone will be paid”, nevertheless assured Frédéric Merlin this Wednesday morning at the National Assembly, where the president of the BHV was received in the economic affairs committee.