A wave of social upheaval is sweeping across France, with Île-de-France feeling the ripple effects most acutely. The furniture retailer Alinéa, which has been under judicial recovery since November 2025, now finds itself without a buyer following the withdrawal of Romanian group SDC Holding on February 12, 2026. Owned by the Mulliez family, also steering major brands like Auchan, Decathlon, and Leroy Merlin, the well-known Avignon-founded furniture chain, established in 1988, is now staring down the possibility of liquidation. Over 1,000 jobs are at risk nationwide, including those at the seven Île-de-France stores still in operation.
The news hit like a cold shower on February 12th. On that day, SDC Holding, the leading contender to take over, announced it was pulling out, citing "too many uncertainties" regarding the project's viability. Nonetheless, their offer had its merits: it included the preservation of 575 jobs out of the 1,000 at risk and covered the brand as well as the website. "Half of the head office staff were not included in the deal. But at least the offer existed. It was the only one truly aiming to keep the brand alive," explains Margaux Palvini, a head office employee and elected union representative for Force Ouvrière.
Two days later, on Saturday, February 14th, in Aubagne (Bouches-du-Rhône), where Alinéa's headquarters is located, a rare scene unfolded: store employees and headquarters staff joined forces to protest during a coordinated two-hour walkout organised by a joint union coalition. "Usually, everything is designed to keep our activities separate. But this time, we were fortunate to stand together and share our common fears: over 1,000 jobs are on the line," explains Margaux Palvini. Meanwhile, on the same day in Essonne, employees at the Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois store decided to keep their shop open despite their frustration, holding banners and wearing yellow vests to show their defiance. "It’s heartbreaking to see companies like this going under. What are we waiting for to save them?" lamented a couple of customers.
The seven remaining brands still operating in Île-de-France are spread across several departments:
In Herblay-sur-Seine (Val-d'Oise), the 77 employees of the store located in the Patte d'Oie shopping area gathered once again on February 15, as reported by Franceinfo. With tenure ranging from two to twenty-four years, they are among the hundreds of Île-de-France workers at risk of losing their jobs in the coming weeks. "I took it hard because this is the second time in five years that this brand is facing trouble. We’ve dedicated ourselves fully, and now we’re starting over," a employee shared bitterly. This distress echoes what employees at Casa or Maisons du Monde experienced, caught in the same turbulence within the furniture sector.
Hope for a quick resolution appears slim. Five other bids are still on the table, but none include the Alinéa brand. Most are simply offering to transfer a handful of employees to their existing stores, based on their territorial expansion plans. The most favorable proposal would only retain 240 jobs. "In any case, we're heading toward the layoff of around a thousand employees," laments Margaux Palvini. The final hearing at the Marseille Commercial Court is scheduled for March 5, 2026, with a decision expected roughly ten days afterward.
Employees and unions are demanding that the Mulliez group take responsibility by offering job transfers within its other brands or providing compensation to support workers through career transitions. For now, the outcome remains very uncertain.
