When they invest in a company, shareholders hope for two things: to receive dividends and, possibly, a significant capital gain from the resale of the shares.
But they can also obtain other benefits.
Thus, certain companies offer financial advantages such as the allocation of free shares (like at Air Liquide) or loyalty bonuses on dividends (like at L'Oréal).
Others offer benefits in kind through shareholder clubs: private visits, privileged sales, and gifts of all kinds.
This practice, little known in France, is nevertheless very popular and very old in Japan.
“Kabunushi yūtai” was born at the end of the 19th century, offering free train tickets, when railway companies were struggling to attract small savers.
Today, nearly one in three Japanese listed companies offers benefits in kind.
It can be food, goodies and especially vouchers...
In Europe, this practice also exists but it is more confidential.
In France, however, there are quite a few companies that pamper their shareholders.
They do this through dedicated clubs offering benefits exclusively reserved for them.
Most are accessible with the holding of a single share.
In Switzerland, dividends in kind
In Switzerland, too, this practice of benefits is known: dividends in kind.
Each year, Swatch shareholders are presented with a collector’s watch.
It is above all the shareholders of the chocolatier Lindt & Sprüngli who are the most pampered.
Those present at the annual general meeting are given a suitcase of several kilos of chocolate!
To hope to be part of this privileged club, you still have to pay several hundred thousand euros to buy... a single share!
And shareholders seem sensitive to this kind of attention.
“Yes, companies are right to pamper their shareholders to motivate them to participate in AGMs, to make their voices heard, and to follow the economic news of these companies
,” a reader writes to us.
Otherwise, shareholders feel anonymized and become much less involved in monitoring these companies of which they constitute the financial and economic base.
The Saint-Gobain shareholders' club, which has 6,000 members, was thus developed
"to strengthen relations between the company and its shareholders"
, explains the group.
“It’s about involving them in the life of the company and introducing them to the group’s professions and management
,” we add.
“Our objective is to pursue a close relationship with our shareholders through the services of the shareholders’ club
(created in 2014, editor’s note) ,
”
explains the LVMH group.
In addition to information on the group and its brands, the aim is to offer them
“opportunities to better understand what makes our model strong
,” says the group led by Bernard Arnault.
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Private tours and unique experiences
And in these clubs, the most common privilege is, by far, the site visit.
The goal is to show shareholders the expertise of the companies for which they agree to take financial risks.
Thus, the shareholders club of the ADP group (Paris airports) offers tours of Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.
Likewise, the Renault group (1 bearer or registered share) offers the opportunity to discover the different production sites for its automobiles.
With its club created in 2010, the Saint-Gobain company (1 bearer or registered share) wants to share its know-how with its shareholders.
“We organize visits to industrial sites which allow you to learn more about the manufacturing processes
,” explains the company specializing in the manufacturing of materials.
“We regularly organize physical visits to the showroom located at our headquarters in La Défense (Hauts-de-Seine), but also more generally to the Saint-Gobain Tower
,” adds the company.
Shareholders discover the more than 80 Group solutions used on the floors and the associated benefits in terms of sound, thermal and visual comfort, but also air quality and energy efficiency
.
What is a registered title?
Like the bearer security, the
administered registered
security is a security which remains managed by a financial intermediary.
However, the name of the shareholder is registered to be identified with the company. There is also pure registered
management
.
In this case, the title is retained by the company itself with custody fees which are generally exempt.
With this management, keeping the title on a stock savings plan (PEA) is impossible.
Beyond their premises, companies also offer cultural outings.
Thus, Saint-Gobain offers to discover the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles.
In 2024, for shareholders of the Arkema company (25 bearer shares or 5 registered shares) it will be a visit to the Mineralogy Museum of the School of Mines.
For their part, Société Générale and Crédit Agricole also allow you to attend private visits to museums or even experience sporting events.
BNP Paribas (accessible from 200 shares), a cinema partner, offers, for example, access to festivals or tickets to attend prestigious tennis tournaments (Monte Carlo, Roland Garros, etc.).
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If the cost of your share is worth several hundred euros, the LVMH group shareholders' club (accessible from a share) allows you to live unique experiences.
“We offer visits to several sites throughout the year to discover the know-how of the LVMH Houses,”
explains the group specializing in luxury, such as the cellars of the Champagne Houses and the Hennessy cellars. .
On the fashion side, private guided tours are offered such as the Louis Vuitton family home in Asnières-sur-Seine - as well as its workshops -, the new Dior boutique at 30 rue Montaigne in Paris, and its Gallery, or even the exhibitions of The Louis Vuitton Foundation by offering skip-the-line tickets.
Upgrades in hotels, discounted high-end champagnes, free ski passes...
In addition to visits, the LVMH group has an e-shop reserved for its shareholders with group products (champagne, wine and spirits) at discounted prices.
This is also the case for Axa shareholders (members of its “Circle” accessible with a single bearer share) who have the possibility of purchasing “vintage Axa grand crus” at preferential rates.
In addition to cheaper products, it is still possible to benefit from “real” gifts.
Thus, members of the Accor group's shareholders' club (50 bearer shares and 1 registered share) can benefit from Gold status in the hotel group's loyalty program, allowing them to benefit from upgrades and other advantages free of charge.
Likewise, shareholders of Compagnie des Alpes can benefit from “shareholder vouchers” to purchase ski passes on the lifts managed by the group.
For amusement park fans, it was also possible to obtain reductions on tickets to Parc Astérix.
To do this, you must still own 400 registered shares for at least one year.
Shareholders of La Compagnie du Mont Blanc can benefit (from at least 100 shares) from two non-consecutive days valid at the Chamonix facilities.
They can be transferred to a loved one.
For shareholders with 400 shares, this package even extends to 5 days!
And you have to take advantage of it.
It seems that the benefits reserved for shareholders melt like snow in the sun over the years...
Shareholders also stock up on gifts during general meetings
“Yes, I appreciate the gifts offered to shareholders who physically attend general meetings
,” tells us a reader who responded to our call for witnesses.
“It is a way of promoting presence and loyalty, of creating a link, but also a form of inequality to the detriment of shareholders who are too far away
. ”
He explains that he benefited from bags containing products during the AGMs of Danone and L'Oréal, a pair of Ray Ban glasses from EssilorLux, a bottle of champagne from LVMH, a bottle of pastis from Pernod Ricard or even a bottle of eau de toilette at Hermès.
Lot 3 champagnes Moët & Chandon Brut Moët imperial 75cl with cases
Service
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