Vivarte and Eram to the rescue of Bata

Bata, a Canadian shoe retailer, faces 2015 in good spirits: after entering administration in November, French competitors Vivarte and Eram might be the answer to its prayers.

Since Bata entered administration in late 2014, various tenders have shown interest in acquiring the business. However, to date, none of those proposals materialised.

Administrators have shortlisted eight out of the ten received bids, with until now competitors of Bata, Vivarte and Eram, heading the list of potential buyers.

As reported by French journal ‘Les Echos’, Vivarte's interest in acquiring Bata has not but surprised, given Vivarte's own financial struggles. Nevertheless, sources close to the French group point out that Bata's commercial network is a strong attraction for Vivarte, which would be planning to dedicate those shops to strengthen its André Minelli brand positioning.

French media advance that on January, 21 the Trade Court of Nanterre will carry on an initial review of the proposals sent to date. "The main goal is to achieve a solution that allows recovery”, ensures a source close to the process quoted by ‘Les Echos’.