Coty Inc. has proposed cutting 155 of the 200 jobs the group has in France, as part of a restructuring of its operating model. The job protection plan, unveiled on Friday, was presented to employees on Tuesday morning.
About half of the French employees are based in Paris, in marketing, sales and supply chain functions, including around fifty in sales positions, according to AFP. The group's Paris headquarters is located on rue du 4-Septembre, on the Right Bank. Coty manufactures CoverGirl, Kylie Cosmetics and Lancaster, among others, and owns brands such as Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Rimmel and Bourjois.
On the union side, the tone is one of concern. A CGT source lamented that employees « accusent le coup » after the plan was presented, while a CFDT source said that « c'est très violent ». Union sources contacted also suspect the group of wanting to « liquider le personnel » in order to facilitate the resale of certain cosmetics brands such as Bourjois and Rimmel.
This restructuring is part of a process that began in April 2025, when, under the leadership of former PDG Sue Nabi, Coty announced the elimination of up to 700 jobs worldwide. Nabi left the group in December 2025 and was replaced by Markus Strobel, now executive chairman and interim chief executive officer. Coty had also announced in September 2025 a strategic review of its mass-market business and its operations in Brésil, which is expected to be completed by the end of calendar year 2026.
This announcement comes as Coty reported, for the first quarter of its fiscal year 2027, profit up 64% to $106 million, driven by demand in its core markets as well as by the sale of one of its licences. L'action of the group recorded an intraday gain of as much as 17.9% compared with the previous day's close. A Coty spokesperson said the proposal to adapt its operating model in France is part of the group's strategy to build « une organisation plus simple, plus ciblée et plus durable », confirming that the group had « proposé d'adapter son modèle opérationnel » in the country.
While awaiting an information meeting scheduled for late November, unions are considering a rally in Paris outside the group's headquarters.
