Zannier
France
Groupe Zannier was a French children's fashion group founded in 1962 by Roger Zannier and Josette Redon. It built a portfolio of about twenty owned and licensed brands and was renamed Kidiliz Group in 2016. The group was liquidated in 2020.
| Founded | 1962 |
|---|---|
| Founders | Roger Zannier and Josette Redon |
| Renamed | Kidiliz Group, 2016 |
| Status | Liquidated, November 2020 |
| Registered office | Paris, France |
What is Zannier?
Zannier, formally Groupe Zannier, was a French children's clothing company. It was founded in 1962 by Roger Zannier and Josette Redon as a small knitwear workshop and later specialised in childrenswear. Its registered head office was in Paris, with an administrative seat in Saint-Chamond.
History
The group began selling through mass retail in 1976. In 1983 it stopped manufacturing to focus on distribution, created its own "Z" brand and opened city-centre stores, expanding abroad largely through franchising. Over time it acquired existing brands and assembled a portfolio of about twenty owned and licensed labels.
The group was renamed Kidiliz Group in 2016. It was later acquired by Zhejiang Semir Garment, a Chinese children's fashion company, in a sale reported in 2018. In September 2020 Kidiliz entered judicial reorganisation because Semir would not recapitalise the loss-making group during the Covid-19 crisis, and in November 2020 it went into liquidation. Seven buyers took over about 500 of its 2,600 employees.
Products and positioning
The portfolio included 3 Pommes, Absorba, Alphabet, Beckaro, Catimini, Chipie, Confetti, Dim, Jean Bourget, Lili Gaufrette, MyfirstDressing and Z, plus licences such as Esprit, G-Star, Paul Smith Junior, Kenzo and Levi's Kids. The group also held IKKS until 2014 and Little Marc Jacobs until 2011.
Business model and distribution
The model combined owned stores, franchise partners, multibrand retailers and licensing. The shift away from manufacturing in 1983 made the group a brand and distribution business.
Why it matters
Zannier was one of the largest French children's fashion groups, and many brands that are still trading, including Catimini and Absorba, trace part of their history to it. Its liquidation is a frequently cited example of the pressure on multi-brand childrenswear groups.
Frequently asked questions
What happened to Groupe Zannier?
Groupe Zannier was renamed Kidiliz Group in 2016 and later acquired by Zhejiang Semir Garment. It entered judicial reorganisation in September 2020 and was liquidated in November 2020.
Which brands did Zannier own?
Its portfolio included Catimini, Absorba, Lili Gaufrette, Chipie, Dim and Z, among others, and it held licences such as Kenzo and Levi's Kids.