Our brand attracts middle and highend customers

Specialist in the arts of the table, Geneviève Lethu hired the relocation of its production in France and Western Europe. The company of La Rochelle (Charentes-Maritime), which was producing 40 of its collections in Asia five years ago, brought this share less than 10. And the movement will continue. "Our brand attracts middle and high-end customers." "This requires us to work on exclusive products and to promote the"made in France", to which she is sensitive", says Edmond Kassapian, the CEO of the group.

Now, cutlery is conducted at Thiers, and table linen in the Vosges, instead of the India. "We will continue to import very manufactured goods, because in terms of cost structure, we cannot do better," resumed the leader. The company began this return to the France and Europe three years ago, anticipating the increase in wages, which was followed by raw materials and energy. It was also deceived by the phenomenon of the copy, very damaging for a brand whose style sales.

Company launched in 1972, Geneviève Lethu has indeed sitting notoriety early on his creativity, with the use of colors, which then ruled with the traditional arts of the table. It also originally of the sale in a same store everything what is used for the preparation of a meal, groundwater glasses, from kitchen utensils. The company grew through franchises, with now a network of 135 shops in the world, with a turnover of EUR 42 million, an increase of 1 in 2007. The mother house is about 6 times less, with a gross margin of 16.

Decline the offer to the male

Since its sale by the founder in 1997, and a new assignment in 2004, the capital is in the hands of individual shareholders, at the origin of this new strategy. "This return to France not to is not accompanied by higher prices, because we integrate very early production process, resumes Edmond Kassapian." At the time, we have increased the quality by lowering our costs of 15 to 20. "The lines are sold by 8 euros a plate up to 165 euros for a pot of high-end.

It is the export which supported sales in recent years. In ten years, international sales doubled to reach 30, with a strong presence in Europe (Portugal, Spain...), but also to the Middle East, and Mexico, first country volume for the brand, which has 6 stores. "We want a share of 50 in three years, continues the CEO. We open our first stores in Seoul, and Bucharest from here to end of 2008 and then to the Luxembourg. "This expansion leads him to think about a new logistic scheme, with a project in Asia. To date, 15,000 m2 global platform is installed at Parthenay. To take its growth in a market in Bern in France, Geneviève Lethu also seeks to attract a younger clientele, offering products in the wind. The company will work to its future collections with cabinet style Elizabeth Leriche, responsible for "reinterpreting it trends of the moment".

Men are a promising target. "We masculinisons our offer cooking and cutlery, with more technical families, because the man is more a prescriber in the kitchen," assures Edmond Kassapian.