For a “Royal Monceau” set, in linen decorated with fine white embroidery, you need to count on 1,400 euros. To survive in the competitive household linen environment, Garnier-Thiebaut has moved towards the high end. Founded in 1833, this company – which has 250 employees and a turnover of 80 million euros – based in Gerardmer is one of the rare survivors of the Vosges textile industry, whose prosperity faded in the years 1970.
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“We could not maintain a position on basic products, because manufacturing in the Vosges makes us more expensive than large-scale exports. We had to find the reasons why customers would agree to pay more,” explains Paul de Montclos, the company’s CEO.
Hence this repositioning undertaken over the past two decades towards the top of the range. Garnier-Thiebaut has specialized in bed sets, tablecloths and beach towels for luxury hotels and restaurants. Among his references: Bocuse, Georges Blanc, Robuchon or Troisgros in French haute cuisine; Raffles, Hyatt and Four Seasons in the hotel industry. 120 palaces are therefore equipped by Garnier Thiebaut.
“We wanted to guarantee the quality of our products and differentiate ourselves from the competition. It would have been suicidal for our brand to be present alongside slippers imported from Asia and sold at low prices within mass distribution,” says Rémy Salmon, the creator of the company La Pantoufle du Berry in 2020, alongside of his father Michel Salmon, former public works contractor.
It costs on average 40 euros to acquire Berry slippers, which come in around fifty models and ten ranges, from mules to slippers, including ballerinas and flip-flops. Since its creation, the company La pantoufle du Berry immediately positioned itself in the medium and high-end market.
First choice raw materials
A choice which is now bearing fruit for the manufacturer based in Vatan in Indre, one of the last ten in France. La Pantoufle du Berry has quadrupled its turnover in four years, reaching 500,000 euros in 2023. Michel and Rémy Salmon's development plan is based on two pillars: manufacturing carried out entirely on site, as well as materials sourced exclusively in France and Europe. In Tarn, Missègle also ensures sourcing and also obtains its supplies directly from producers, which limits the volatility of raw materials.
“Made in France is not in itself a guarantee of quality. For our part, we are also very specific in materials with 100% wool, yak or wool sweaters. In a world losing meaning, customers are also attentive to our values,” says Myriam Joly, the founder of the Tarn company Missègle, for whom the simple tricolor macaroon is not enough to explain the success of the brand.
The Missègle workshop has been thriving for 30 years in knitting from natural fibers and boasts an annual production of 400,000 pairs of socks, 80,000 accessories and 50,000 sweaters. The brand is also positioned in the high-end segment with sweaters between 100 and 200 euros, compared to other Made in France textile players like Vendéen Maison Solfin or Vosgien Bleu Forêt for socks.
Foreign customers, a prime target
Beyond premium raw materials, with French and/or European supplies, these three players rely on different aspects to develop their brand.
« We are between 10% and 12% more expensive on average than our European competitors, and up to 80% more expensive on major exports. But our winning asset is personalization », says Paul de Montclos, of Garnier-Thiebaut.
For individual customers (40% of activity), the company has set up a network of 30 stores in major French cities. The next opening is planned in Nice, this year before Christmas. Launched three years ago, the 5 by Garnier-Thiebaut site aims even higher: it offers individuals the opportunity to purchase bed sets similar to those in palaces. “ This personalization particularly appeals to foreign customers, who travel all over the world.r », observes Paul de Montclos.
Internationally, Made in France has a bright future ahead of it
Foreign customers are also a point of vigilance for the company La Pantoufle du Berry, whose products are distributed exclusively in some 90 independent points of sale in France (shoe stores, shoemakers, pharmacies). They have been distributed since 2023 in Germany, the United Kingdom and New York, in the United States. Flag bearer of the brand, Berryzienne hopes to acquire in the medium term in France and abroad a reputation comparable to that of Charentaise, Tropézienne and Espadrille.
« Driven by the exponential development of teleworking since the 2020 health crisis, and the rise in energy prices, the slipper market is doing well, welcomes Rémy Salmon. We will therefore have to increase our production tool, now saturated, to reach 50,000 pairs within two years compared to 35,000 in 2024. ».
As for Missègle, despite inflation, the price of products has only increased by 2% per year. It must be said that the company was little affected by the surge in electricity thanks to the solar panels which provide 60% of its energy. In addition to having opened a site to ensure the second life of her articles, she tries to contain its growth (10 million euros annual turnover, 55 employees) to remain a company on a human scale, another key guarantee of its sustainability.
