Lafuma

Lafuma is a French company that specializes in outdoor equipment and clothing, such as backpacks, sleeping bags and footwear. It also offers a wide variety of other equipment, earning comparisons to United States companies such as Patagonia and Columbia Sportswear. Group brands include Eider, Millet and Oxbow. The Lafuma clothing brands have been personified by sports personalities and by the French actor and stuntman Karl E. Landler.

Lafuma
TypePrivate
IndustryOutdoor clothing and Footwear
Founded1930
FounderVictor, Alfred and Gabriel Lafuma
HeadquartersRegistered: Paris,
Anneyron, Drôme
,
France
Area served
Global
Key people
Philippe Joffard (Chairman, grandson of founder)
ProductsApparel
SubsidiariesEider, Millet, Oxbow
WebsiteGroupe-Lafuma.fr
Footnotes / references
Slogan: On vit tous ces moments là! (We all live these moments!)
A Lafuma windbreaker with its hood stowed.

History

The three Lafuma brothers – Victor, Alfred and Gabriel – founded Lafuma in 1930 producing backpacks. In 1936, the company invented the metal-frame braced backpack, which expanded the group considerably. Having produced products for both the French Army before World War II and during the occupation of France by Nazi Germany for the Wehrmacht, the company resumed production post-war. In 1954, Lafuma expanded into camping furniture.

In 1984, the company went bankrupt, and was taken over by a grandson of the founders, Philippe Joffard. In 1985, the company expanded into sleeping bags and, in 1986, moved part of its production to Tunisia. In 1991, the company launched new clothing brands and, in 1992, opened production facilities in Hungary. This allowed the resumption of the production of the Millet and Le Chameau brands in 1995.

The company was launched on the CAC Small second market in 1997, reducing the founding families' share to around a 15% share holding. Philippe Joffard remains chairman.

In 2004, the company purchased the jeans brand Ober and, in 2005, Oxbow. In 2006, the company began co-branding winter clothing with Thierry Mugler. After a difficult year in 2007, Lafuma resumed production of the Eider brand, but by moving production from Éloise to overseas facilities.

In 2012, Le Chameau was sold to Marwyn Management Partners, a UK-based private equity company.[1]

Current

The group is still highly reliant on the domestic French market, with 60% of group turnover generated from French sales. The current brands of the group include (with reported sales percentages):[2]

Detailed figures for the licensing of the Killy trademark are not published. Turnover by product is broken down as:[2]

  • Clothing (62.5%)
  • Accessories and equipment (12%) including: backpacks, sleeping bags, blankets, billfolds, mountaineering ropes, strollers
  • Shoes and boots (13.1%)
  • Camping furniture (12.4%) including: folding chairs, chairs, tables

The group has eight production sites, in: France (4), Hungary (1), Tunisia (1), Morocco (1) and China (1).[2]

References
  1. Katherine Rushton (2 October 2012). "Le Chameau Wellington maker sold to Marwyn Management Partners". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  2. "Groupe Lafuma". Groupe Lafuma. Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
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