After difficult hours, Lapeyre pulls his head above water.
The panic had won the 3,000 employees of the sign when Saint-Gobain announced in 2020 its intention to sell it to the German fund Mutares, weighted with a reputation for harshness on the social level.
The construction group had paid 243 million euros to separate from Lapeyre.
What demobilize the employees, convinced that they would soon put the key under the door.
Almost two years later, the worst has not happened.
The dreaded massive job cuts have not happened.
Better, the losses of Lapeyre are reduced little by little.
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The recovery plan designed by a consulting firm under the aegis of Mutares provided for 750 departures to stem the brand's losses.
But Marc Ténart, appointed head of Lapeyre after its takeover, then obtained from the fund three to six months to form his own opinion on the difficulties of the company.
The initial transformation plan came out of it largely modified.
“
Customers knew the brand but no longer knew what was sold there
,” explains Marc Ténart.
However, the products are of high quality and our double role as distributor and manufacturer is a tremendous asset.
It is less the offer than the accessibility of this offer that has sinned in recent years
.
Read alsoThe future of Lapeyre will be written under the German flag
Upon his arrival, the CEO, who in the past led Conforama and Castorama, believes that if the factories must increase in productivity, it is not necessary to close any, with the exception of a factory workshop. de Poreaux, which employs about thirty people.
The 243 million euros left by Saint-Gobain, as well as the 93 million euros from the sale of store walls, allow reinvestment.
The four-year transformation plan includes 160 million euros of investment, including 45 million euros intended for the modernization of the industrial tool.
The other two-thirds are devoted to the renovation of IT and stores.
In two years, factory productivity has improved.
Logistics circuits have been optimized.
1500 truck journeys were saved last year.
The customer experience is now the focus of all attention.
There's work.
The interface used by sellers to market windows dates back to… 1992.
Develop the franchise
Terminals are being tested in stores, which will make the consumer more independent and more expert.
In the kitchens, the virtual headset is being tested.
The website, whose performance was very poor, has just been refreshed.
"
We still have margins for improving sales because all the tools will only be deployed within a year
," says Marc Ténart.
In 2022, Lapeyre's turnover was almost stable compared to 2021, at nearly 700 million euros.
Sales to individuals, which contribute two-thirds, are down after the peak caused by the Covid.
The professionals compensated.
The operating loss, now reduced, has been halved compared to 2021 and five times compared to 2019. The transformation plan provides for a turnover of 800 million and an operating profit of 50 million euros in 2025.
The franchise will contribute to achieving its objectives, while improving the accessibility of the offer.
Marc Ténart wants to open 70 franchise stores, including 25 by 2025. Nearly two years after its takeover, the brand once again feels capable of proudly displaying the slogan that made it famous: "Lapeyre,
y not two
”.
