C&A closes flagship denim factory in Germany

C&A's jeans factory in Mönchengladbach, Germany was once considered a blueprint for the future of production in the heart of Europe - now the clothing retailer has closed it.

The factory, officially called the "Factory for Innovation in Textiles" (FIT), was set up to test and develop new and sustainable production methods. The aim was to find out whether this production model could reduce costs in Europe while increasing production volume. After carefully examining the results, C&A has now decided to stop operating the FIT factory because the initiative did not meet the expectations of the business case, the company confirmed on Friday in response to a request from FashionUnited.

Factory could not meet expectations During a visit to the factory in 2022, factory manager Uwe Gansfort emphasized to FashionUnited that it was by no means a pure showcase project. Rather, the factory should operate profitably. At that time, C&A had already invested almost five million euros in the factory. Experts had calculated at the time that the factory should achieve the best possible productivity with 90 employees - measured against the size of 4,300 square meters, the existing number of machines and the investment made.

However, the factory was not able to achieve the clothing retailer's desired goals. The decision to close the FIT factory was not an easy one for the company, explained C&A. Nevertheless, testing new approaches is a fundamental part of the company's strategy. In the future, the company will continue to test new possibilities and strive to achieve sustainable improvements in all areas.