Talk:Fauchon

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Notes[edit]

As the reputation of this article's subject is certainly more deserving, perhaps those with the relevant knowledge, experience, and sources would improve upon it, since it is currently little more than an advertisement.

FAUCHON Paris- Discoverer, selector and retailer of refined tastes, FAUCHON is synonymous with contemporary luxury food worldwide. Multi-specialist, FAUCHON offers products of the utmost quality in all its areas of expertise: fine grocery, bakery, pastry, delicatessen, wine cellar and tea room, gifts. Its modernity finds its roots in the past, something of the “house” founded place de la Madeleine by Auguste FAUCHON in 1886. To its traditional values – search for excellence, taste for the rare and the unique-, the brand associates fantasy, daring and creativity. Available in more than 27 countries, FAUCHON is a real dedication to the pleasure of the senses, a new vision of elegance “à la française”.

Terrible. Needs to be sorted out ASAP. Badgerpatrol 03:17, 9 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I recently modified the Fauchon article in French, which contained the same failings. We now have a version written from reliable, neutral sources. I suggest putting the translation of the article on line in one go, which will give us a proper basis for the English version. MrBeBe (talk) 08:26, 13 December 2013 (UTC)[reply]

This is embarrassing[edit]

This article is clearly a bad translation of the Fauchon piece on the French Wikipedia. I suggest taking it down until someone has the patience to translate it again while seriously cutting its length. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Josephlestrange (talk • contribs) 07:31, 31 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I plan to put a new version on line that has been correctly translated. Please don't hesitate to correct or improve it.MrBeBe (talk) 08:26, 13 December 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Clean Up or ClueBot NG ?[edit]

Good afternoon, As I mentioned in my earlier messages, I have made some substantial changes to the page, in order to present a version (that stems from the French), which is both shorter and less promotion-oriented. To this end, I had to cut out quite a bit of the content, which – logically enough – alerted the ClueBot NG robot, which cancelled my editing.

Although I understand the procedure, this is not a question of "vandalism", as my version (attached) lightens and synthesizes the article, which I found far too long. I would like to thank you in advance for your feedback, remarks and comments. Can we put this latest version on line, with a view to improving the article ? Otherwise, what would you suggest to improve the content, which is relatively difficult to read ?

Best regards, MrBeBe (talk) 16:39, 17 December 2013 (UTC)[reply]

One Year later ![edit]

Good afternoon ! Need help to improve this page .... MrBeBe (talk) 14:22, 5 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

My suggestion[edit]

I suggest structuring the Fauchon article differently in order to meet the numerous requests for a shorter version and a summary:

1) To move the content relating to Laurent Adamowicz and Michel Ducros. Many passages in this article on Fauchon pertain more to current and former directors/managers than the company itself. As there is already a page on Michel Ducros, I suggest creating a link to this page rather than keeping duplicated content. Where Laurent Adamowicz is concerned, a dedicated page could be created. Indeed, there is already one on the wikipedia page in French.

2) Shortening the Page on Fauchon You will find hereunder the final page I suggest in terms of content, to make it far more readable. This will require removing content that is not necessary. Please send in your recommendations and suggestions to improve it.

Possible page[edit]

History[edit] The origins[edit]

The founder of the Fauchon brand, Auguste Fauchon, was born in Calvados in 1856. He moved to Paris in 1880, where he began to work as a street vendor, moving on to become a wine and spirits merchant. In 1886, at the age of 30, he opened a fine foods outlet on Place de la Madeleine in central Paris's 8th arrondissement. This first shop still exists, and was totally renovated in 2005 [3] and again in 2007 by designer Christian Biecher.[4]

The quality of the products made by Fauchon and its numerous approved suppliers [5] quickly made it well-known internationally,[6] and it came to symbolize French-style luxury. In 1968, French radicals chose to raid Fauchon and distribute foie gras to the poor, according to Matt Miller in the Daily Deal [7] During the Second World War, restrictions and rationing made business difficult for the company. Auguste Fauchon died in 1945 and his children sold the company in 1952[8] From 1952 to the present day[edit] From 1952 to 2003: opening up to new markets[edit]

In 1952, Joseph Pilosoff, the former owner of Chocolat Poulain, “Ciseaux d’argent” in Saint-Cloud and “Aux 100000 chemises” in Paris, took over Fauchon and built up a partnership with Air France. He also expanded the name abroad, opening new Fauchon outlets including in Japan in a Takashimaya department store in 1972. When Joseph Pilosoff died in 1981, his daughter took over at the head of the company. However, she too died soon thereafter, in December 1985, in a fire on the company premises. Her daughter Martine, then 33, and her husband, Philippe Prémat, became the owners of Fauchon.[9][10] Martine Prémat's management proved difficult. Turnover had been flat since the beginning of the decade at around 250 million French francs (some €38 million), with losses of FF5 million in 1991, FF4.7 million in 1993 and FF11.9 million in 1996, and debt standing at FF73 million (€11 million) and a negative net equity of FF4.9 million.[11] The company strategy to sell its products in mass-market superstore chains such as Carrefour and Auchan,[12] was sharply criticized, and the management was reproached with running the risk of spoiling the company image, making it commonplace.[13] Martine and Philippe Prémat were also criticized for making management errors, and building a yacht, “Le Fauchon”, on which they intended to promote French gastronomy6, and then making a FF12 million loss (€1.8 million) [14] when they sold it. Despite attempts to expand the group in the 1990s by opening shops in Geneva and Saudi Arabia – only to close them a few years later – or by sponsoring the Paris Dakar rally, Martine Prémat finally sold the company to Laurent Adamowicz for FF240 million (€36.6 million) [15] in March 1998,.[16][17] The sale price included the freehold of the buildings on Place de la Madeleine, sold the following year to the real estate group OGIC, headed by Jean Diaz.[18] Laurent Adamowicz positioned the brand on the gourmet foods market. He launched new products[19] and ad campaigns, renovated points of sale, and withdrew the brand from mass-market outlets. He maintained the partnership with Air France, and brought two leading pastry chefs, Sébastien Godard and Christophe Adam, on board when Pierre Hermé left. Fauchon opened in the United States, spending FF60 million (€9.2 million) in five years,[20] but also expanded in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Middle East and Europe.[21][22][23] In France, the acquisition of Flo Prestige for €39 million increased the number of outlets in Paris by 12 stores [24] In 2003, the Fauchon network included 650 franchises, 16 of its own shops, of which three were in New York and 13 in Paris with the takeover of the Flo Group's delicatessens [25][26]

From 2003 to the present day: new developments[edit] Laurent Adamowicz introduces marketing at Fauchon with the first advertising campaign on the theme of fashion in 1999. He organizes the full repositioning of the brand, its image, its graphic identity, its logos, and the entire range of packaging. As soon as the year 2000, under his management, Fauchon becomes a growing and profitable company again. Fauchon opens new stores in Japan, in South Korea, Taiwan, the Middle East, Europe, and finally in the United States where it never had a store before.

Prior to his purchase of Fauchon, Laurent Adamowicz had already announced his intent and that of his investor group to launch the company in the U.S. market in a very significant way. A press conference they held in early February 1998 made it official that their strategy was to invest 60 million French Francs ($14 million) over 5 years to conquer the United States market they called “the largest opportunity for the development” of Fauchon. See Les Echos newspaper article on February 5, 1998[29] and the article in Le Monde, likewise: “The buyer of Fauchon, the company Waldo, wants to develop the brand in the United States”[30]

After the pastry chef Pierre Hermé and his pupil, Sébastien Godard, both left the company, Laurent Adamowicz trusted a very young pastry chef promoted from within, in 2000, to lead the pastry department at Fauchon: Christophe Adam, who was followed by Patrick Pailler

The 2003 Crisis[edit] During the summer of 2003, Fauchon went into serious debt to convert the Flo Traiteur delicatessens in Paris to Fauchon colors. Times were hard, whether from an economic, financial or real estate viewpoint. Comes the crisis of Spring-Summer 2003: First there was the Iraq War with the invasion and the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in April 2003; followed in May 2003 with a worldwide scare due to the epidemic of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus; then came the unprecedented heat wave in Europe that hit France particularly hard with over 15,000 dead in August 2003; finally, the economic turbulences due to the collapse of the tourism market that year. Fauchon was very dramatically affected by the combination of all these events, especially at the time it had just converted to the Fauchon brand all the new Parisian stores it had just acquired.

Six months later, in January 2004, Laurent Adamowicz left his CEO's office to Michel Ducros, (one of the sons of Gilbert Ducros (1928–2007), the founder of the Ducros spice business that he sold in 1992 to the Italian group Ferruzzi [38][39]) [40] when he sold his 51% stake in the capital to La Compagnie du Bois sauvage (CBS),[41] the Swiss group Gonset Holding S.A,[42] and Universal Capital Partners, headed by Pierre Besnainou [43]

As for Michel Ducros, at Fauchon, he follows into the steps of his predecessor in terms of the brand image, its renewal started in 1998 with the introduction of the first advertising campaigns in 1999, the renovation of the stores, the new packaging, and the marketing efforts.

From 2005 onward, Michel Ducros bought out most of the private and corporate shareholders: in 2005, he acquired all of the shares held by the Barclays Group, in 2009 the 36% stake owned by La Compagnie du Bois sauvage, then the stake held by Matignon Investissement & Gestion,[44] and lastly the minority shareholdings.[45] At that point, Michel Ducros held 95% of Fauchon's capital.[46] “I am an entrepreneur, I invest in the long term,” he explained.

Selling off loss-making assets[edit]

The acquisition of the Flo outlets in Paris in 2002 and the opening of three shops in New York led to a very sharp rise in income between 1998 and 2004, but a decline in Fauchon's net profits.[48] From 2004 onward, the new shareholders adopted a strategy that aimed to boost profits by selling off those assets they deemed to be non-strategic, closing stores in Russia and the United States;[49][50][51] selling their ready-prepared meal tray business to the Fleury Michon group;[52] and finally transferring the Fauchon Paris stores to the company's rival Lenôtre [53][54]

International Development[edit]

Despite the lack of success in the United States and China,[56][57][58] “Fauchon must reassess its plans after its failures to balance its books due to its local losses”. Adds Isabelle Capron, Chief Operating Officer of Fauchon: “China may be the future Japan, but not for right now”,[59] Fauchon had some 60 stores and restaurants around the world in 2013, and international sales represented 80% of the group's business [60]

Fauchon is now aiming to have 100 outlets by 2017, most of which will be franchises, its chosen modus operandi. Only five stores carry the company name [76]

In February 2013 – ten years after Michel Ducros took over at the helm – Éric Vincent was appointed CEO, with a mission to develop the company mostly on international markets. Fauchon is now aiming to have 100 outlets by 2017 (from 63 in 2013), most of which to be franchises, its chosen modus operandi. In 2013 Fauchon has five company-owned stores and 58 franchised stores.[77] In 2014, Fauchon has debuted its second boutique in Hong Kong.[78]

Fauchon is reinforcing its presence through Asia, and expands in Thaïland with the implantation of two stores : the first one opened in Bangkok in february 2014. A second boutique opened in the August 2014 in Siam Paragon. Middle East represents a key market for Fauchon. The development in this area was managed by Samy Vischel. He worked as a chief operating officer in Dubaï for April 2013. Before that, he was area manager Middle East. The expansion started in the early 1990’s with a first store created in Qatar. Its presence through Arabian countries is growing faster in the early 2010’s. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Barhain, Qatar constitute the main markets. There are currently more than 15 shops in Middle East. There are actually two stores in Cairo, three in Kuwait. A shop opened in Istanbul's Akasya Mall in 2014. In Oman (Muscat) a store was launched in October 2013, in the prestigious Opera Galleria. Shops were also opened in Abu Dhabi (in Etihad in 2013), Tel-Aviv (2013) or Lebanon (Beirut, 2012). The group is now targeting Latin America, with a first store opened in Mexico in 2014. Brazil is also considered as a potential market. Fauchon is enlarging its sale's outlets in duty free : Fauchon has established sale's outlets in Frankfort (Heinemann Airport, I 2014) or Paris Charles de Gaulle (2012) . In 2010, Fauchon launched a new concept in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur : a caviar bar. Fauchon travel retail constitutes about 6% of the global income in 2011-2012.

Brand redeployment[edit]

Michel Ducros revised Fauchon strategy with all its suppliers in all product categories, as the Paris-based purveyor of gourmet foods no longer wants to be a general store, but a multi-specialist. Fauchon has developed a product strategy, which entails setting up specific partnerships with its suppliers and sub-contractors [80] and developing and making Fauchon products to strict specifications and Fauchon recipes. Fauchon continues to produce most of its own breads, cakes, pastries and delicatessen products on its premises (in the Paris suburb of Courbevoie for cakes and pastries). Events, such as Eclair Week, are organized around the world regularly, to promote the brand's culinary know-how.[81]

The eclairs represent the most emblematic product of Fauchon, who declines its éclairs into special limited editions : for the 80th anniversary of Lacoste, the clothing brand's famous crocodile make a special appearance on éclair pastries by French luxury food retailer Fauchon and used to innovate every year, with Mona Lisa, Brigitte Bardot (2009) or Thierry Mugler. In 2014, Fauchon celebrates Batman’s 75th anniversary with all-black eclair.

Fauchon produces local editions of the Éclair Week, such as the Kabuki Eclairs (2013) created for a special occasion : to celebrate the reopening of the Kabukiza Theatre in Tokyo. Pop-up stores are sometimes arranged as it was the case for the Kabukiza eclairs that were sold during a week under the theatre.

Fauchon in Figures[edit] On the verge of bankruptcy in 2004 (with losses of €30 million),[67] Fauchon made its way back to a smaller loss in 2009, and in 2013 posted an operating profit of €900,000 on sales of €50 million [68] The company however, has not yet returned a net profit since 2004 under the management of Michel Ducros. From 1998 to 2003, the number of franchised Fauchon stores went from 450 to 650, the number of company-owned stores from 1 to 16 of which 3 in New York and 13 in Paris after the purchase by Fauchon of the Parisian stores of Groupe Flo[84][85] The number of licenses grew from 2 to 16 from 1998 to 2003, generating royalties that grew from 1.5 to 3 million Euros ($4.5 million) during the same period. In 2003, Fauchon had total sales of 90 million ($135 million) of which 30% export revenues for a profit of 5 million Euros ($7.5 million). (See the Article “Fauchon en Chiffres” – Fauchon in Figures – i.e. business newspaper La Tribune)[86]

Financial data in million euros[97] · [98] · [99] · [100]

Years 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Income 39.1 41.4 38.7 54.0 84.2 70.7 43.8 36.0 35.6 36.6 44.3 45.5 46.2 Operating profits 1.5 1.5 -3.1 -3.4 -10.2 -10.7 -5.8 -1.1 -1.1 -0.2 -0.1 -0.3 0.1 Net profitor loss 0.1 1.3 -1.4 -4.5 -33.5 -15.9 -5.8 -0.8 -5.4 -1.0 -1.0 -1.0 -0.5 CEO Laurent Adamowicz Laurent Adamowicz Laurent Adamowicz Laurent Adamowicz Michel Ducros (**) Michel Ducros Michel Ducros Michel Ducros Michel Ducros Michel Ducros Michel Ducros Michel Ducros Michel Ducros

Competition[edit] Main competitors of Fauchon on the worldwide gourmet and luxury food products scene include Harrods and Fortnum & Mason in London and Mariage Frères, Le Palais des Thés, Dammann Frères, Kusmi Tea, Lenôtre, Pavillon Ledoyen, and Hédiard in Paris.

References in popular culture[edit] In Thomas Harris's book Hannibal (1999), the infamous fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter, while on a flight from Europe to America, waits until everyone is asleep before producing a Fauchon food parcel of aromatic truffled pate de foie gras and Anatolian figs, as well as a half bottle of St Estephe which Harris says he favours.

In Cast Away, the 2000 movie directed by Robert Zemeckis, Chuck Noland, the FedEx executive (starring Tom Hanks) hands his colleagues before they board the plane, a Fauchon bag containing fresh baguette bread from Paris. The distinctive Fauchon logo of the bag stands out. Later in the movie, one wishes he had kept the bag.

I would like to thank you in advance for your feedback, remarks and comments

'MrBeBe (talk) 14:22, 5 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

New versions[edit]

Hello. As previously discussed , I'll make changes on the page: moving paragraphs, erasing repetition, synthesizing texts. There will probably be some suppression of texts ( logic). Thank you all for your comments to improve and clean this page MrBeBe (talk) 12:11, 24 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, I tried again to improve this article, I deleted many redundancy and articles extracts in the reference section, and tried to synthesis some very long § or difficult to read. Thank you for your return on this proposition, it seems to be cleaner now, and I hope more neutral in the redaction.--KeplëR (talk) 09:38, 24 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Precision[edit]

As specified on my user page, I am currently working with Fauchon and Michel Ducros to improve their Wikipedia page.--KeplëR (talk) 11:39, 11 October 2016 (UTC)[reply]

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