L'Occitane en Provence and commonly known as L'Occitane , is an international retailer of body, face, fragrance and home products based in Manosque, France. The company was founded in 1976 by Olivier Baussan with the aim of creating a company that celebrates and preserves its original Provence tradition. The name of the company means "Occitan woman [in Provence]".
In 2010, the company is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Video L'Occitane en Provence
Histori
In 1976, the 23-year-old Olivier Baussan used steam distillation to produce the essential oil from rosemary and wild lavender that he sold on the open market in his home country of Provence. L'Occitane is named for Occitanian women. This area existed during the Middle Ages, stretching in southern France, northeastern Spain and northern Italy. Occitan is the native language and is still spoken as the second language in some areas of the region.
In 1976, using an old soap factory donated to him, Olivier Baussan revived the traditional art of making Marseille soaps in Manosque, another ProvenÃÆ'§al village. He produces vegetable soap. The L'Occitane factory and the first boutique opened in 1981 in Volx, a village in Provence. In the 1990s, Baussan sold a majority stake in the business to market capitalists to finance expansion. Because their approach was not appropriate, Baussan found himself expelled from day-to-day management and strategic decision making.
In 1994, Austrian businessman Reinold Geiger bought a 33% stake in the group. Through a series of capital improvements, Geiger became the majority shareholder in 1996. Geiger, as the new chairman, asked Baussan to return as creative director and lead product development. The company's new focus on marketing strategy paves the way for international expansion. In the late 1990s the company changed its name to 'L'Occitane en Provence', to strengthen its relationship with the roots of the company and because the term 'Provence' meant more to the international audiences. On April 20, 2001, Clarins became a financial investor in the company by subscribing about 5.18% of the company's shares and EUR11,433,750 of debit convertible loans. On February 22, 2005, Clarins further invested EUR16,525,580 in convertible bonds. When a bond is converted, Clarins holds 23.33% of the shares. Management executed leveraged buyouts in May 2007 followed by Reinold Geiger's share of 31.9% to 48.7%, and Clarins shares diluted to 10.0%.
L'Occitane has stores in more than 90 countries, in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa; with 170 stores in the United States. At the launch of the IPO in 2010, the company announced that its products were sold in more than 80 countries through more than 1,500 retail locations; has 753 L'Occitane Shop. In the year ended March 31, 2009, it generated sales of EUR537.3 million. It is planned over 650 store openings with raised capital.
In 2013, the company employs 6,600 people worldwide and creates a new brand of L'Occitane au BrÃÆ' Â © sil, which focuses on products from Brazil.
Listing
In March 2010, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange listing committee approved its plan for a $ 400- $ 600 million initial public offering from L'Occitane International SA, borne by CLSA, HSBC and UBS originally planned by the company in 2008, but was postponed due to financial crisis of 2008. The company stated that two thirds of the proceeds will be used to finance the opening of the store. China Investment Corporation invested US $ 50 million in its IPO as a major investor (about 1.9% of shares). Following L'Occitane International SA's listing of shares, L'Occitane Groupe SA holds a 75% shareholding of the company; shares owned by Geiger, Clarins and other indirect shareholders.
Maps L'Occitane en Provence
Beauty products
All L'Occitane products are developed and manufactured from its base in Manosque, where 1,000 employees work. The source company is mostly from Provence and one of the main crops of l'Immortelle (Helichrysum italicum) from Corsica from producers who rely on traditional production methods.
L'Occitane contributes to preserving traditional cultivation methods by:
- Support the program to grow almond trees in the Haute-Provence Alps.
- Preserve certain rare species by planting the Immortelle flower field in Corsica.
- Develop partnerships with organizations that support the development of scented and flavorful plants, such as the Office of National Interprofessionel des Plantes ÃÆ' Perfume, and
- Encouraging traditional cultivation, especially lavender.
In addition to products sourced from Provence, shea butter is purchased directly from women's groups in Burkina Faso as Fair Trade with an 'Ecocert' certification. The shea tree is considered sacred, and the butter is known as the "golden lady" because that is how the women make their money. Shea butter traditions are still used, just like fallen fruits that can be collected by women, and only women who know the secret to making a shea butter.
According to the company, it does not test on animals, and there are no animal products or by-products, except for the honeycomb products used in the manufacturing process. L'Occitane develops most of its products and ingredients in accordance with Ecocert organic cosmetic specifications.
Melvita
L'Occitane bought Groupe M & amp; A Development and its subsidiaries, M & amp; A SantÃÆ'Â © BeautÃÆ'Â ©, which includes the Melvita organic cosmetics brand, in 2008. The company, founded in ArdÃÆ'¨che in 1983 by the French biologist Bernard Chevilliat, commercialized ecological and organic cosmetics primarily in France. In 1990, Melvita launched its first range of organic cosmetics and its manufacturing earned ECOCERT certification. They now have stores in thirteen countries.
L'Occitane Foundation
La Fondation d'Entreprise L'Occitane is a private organization founded in 2006 by the company, with a budget of 4 million euros over 6 years, to support people with visual impairments and help the emancipation of women's economy. It supports the association for the blind especially in Burkina Faso with NGOs specializing in professional training to reduce blindness. The L'Occitane Foundation has formed a partnership with Orbis, an organization that fights avoided blindness in developing countries. To support the women's emancipation economy, the L'Occitane Foundation partnered with the Faa-I-tuora association to improve the way people live on Dissin, in the Burkina Faso region of the Southwest.
In 2013, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has decided to recognize L'Occitane en Provence as an exemplary company, within the framework of the "Growing Inclusive Markets" initiative 2013.
Since 2013, the L'Occitane Foundation rewards every two years an ophthalmologist for his work in the fight against blindness. Professor Volker Klaus received in 2013 the first l'Occitane Sight Award with a EUR50,000 award for his action in Africa.
References
External links
- L'occitane global site
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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