Founder of electronics chain Darty has died

Bernard Darty, co-founder of French electronics chain Darty, has died at age 84. The group was founded in 1957 by Bernard Darty and his brothers Natan and Marcel, but became an international electronics group.

From family business over Kingfisher to Fnac Darty

Originally, the one store in Montreuil (near Paris) sold radios and television sets, but it grew quickly thanks to home delivery and quick reparation services. Eight years later, the brothers opened a second store, quickly followed by the first “big box” outlet of 800 square meters. Bernard Darty was the group’s CEO up until 1993, when it was acquired by British group Kingfisher. In 2016, the group was finally acquired by Fnac, resulting in the merged company known as Fnac Darty.

In a press release, Fnac Darty’s CEO Enrique Martinez praises “the career of an extraordinary man, who revolutionised the trade along with his brothers Marcel and Natan through their innovative take on service and their obsession with customer satisfaction”.

Bernard Darty never stopped modernising his company and his activities, Martinez says. In 1993, they launched their first website. Today, the company employs 26,000 people, including 19,000 in its home country. France is the location of 510 Fnac Darty stores and brings in 72 % of the group’s turnover. Abroad, the merger company has 218 outlets.