Groupe Rocher to sell Petit Bateau and Stanhome

The French group Rocher, which owns cosmetics brand Yves Rocher, plans to sell its children’s fashion divisions to focus on its core business.

New-found focus

Yesterday, the Rocher group announced that it is launching a process to divest its children’s fashion and home maintenance divisions, including the brands Petit Bateau and Stanhome, to focus on its core cosmetics business.

General Manager Jean-David Schwartz says his company is “focusing its investments on developing the potential of its brands in skincare, beauty and well-being.” Rocher bought US maintenance brand Stanhome in 1997 and children’s fashion brand Petit Bateau one year later in an attempt to diversify its business. A quarter of a century later, it has chosen to move in the reverse direction.

Growing

The choice is strategic and not financial, as Petit Bateau’s sales point out. The brand accounted for 12 % of group sales, reaching 264 million in sales last year, LSA reports. The brand is sold in 370 of its own shops (including seven in Belgium) and through 760 shops owned by others. France accounts for 55 % of sales, compared with 25 % in the rest of Europe and 10 % in Japan. In France and Italy, sales recorded a double-digit growth last year.

Stanhome operates only in France, Italy and Mexico, through a network of home sellers. The brand was good for 9 % of total group sales – or 198 million euros