Yoox, first glimmer of hope for an agreement: "We're evaluating alternatives to redundancies."

Bologna, September 23, 2025 – "Together we can." The appeal from Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso is the institutional motto regarding the Yoox affair. And it represents the workers' joy following the first glimmer of hope in the dispute affecting the Bologna-based company. After 20 days, the German-owned company MyTheresa-LuxExperience is open to alternatives to the collective dismissal of 211 employees (165 in Bologna and the remainder in Milan) announced at the beginning of September. This is the outcome of the meeting held at the Ministry of Mimit this afternoon, attended by Minister Urso. The request from the minister and the unions was the decisive factor in the owners' decision to backtrack. Thus, the owners have taken ten days to decide which solution to pursue.

In the meantime, There will be further meetings between the parties, and then on October 2nd, at the expiration of the ten-day deadline, the owners will report their decision to a new meeting at the Ministry of Labor. "We consider Yoox a significant entity, which must be safeguarded to protect jobs and its presence in the region. Its reorganization cannot and must not occur through unilateral actions such as collective dismissals," Urso stated. As already demonstrated in other disputes affecting Bologna and Emilia-Romagna, such as La Perla, which was sold last June to the American Peter Kern, "we are convinced that alternative solutions exist, which should be agreed upon together for the purpose of better social management," Urso explained. Therefore, " this discussion bodes well for opening a serious and transparent dialogue," Urso concluded at the end of yesterday's meeting at the ministry.

According to Silvia Balestri, Fisascat Cisl Metropolitan Area Bolognese, this is a "first step." Above all, the statements made at the meeting have an "important" significance because they were made in a ministerial setting. However, Balestri and the unions are now demanding "action": "The openness is good, now we want action." It's been a busy month for unions and institutions , who now see their initial demands met. Balestri, however, welcomes Urso's availability: "He said he's available to oversee the entire process involving the company and its workers," says Balestri. This is the first positive outcome of a discussion involving the Italian company , a leader in the online sales of fashion, luxury, and design goods , founded by Federico Marchetti in 2000. It was later acquired in 2018 by the Swiss giant Richemont and sold in October 2024 to the German platform Mytheresa. "This is an important step towards protecting jobs and the company's presence in the region," says Marta Evangelisti , regional group leader for the Brothers of Italy party. Regional Labor Councilor Giovanni Paglia also chimes in: "No one is questioning the need to restore balance between the budget and the organization, but it must be done with respect for the lives of those involved."