Beauty Sales: $3 billion

Major Products: Skincare, cosmetics and fragrance sold in retail and through direct-sell under the following brands: Yves Rocher, Dr. Pierre Ricaud, Daniel Jouvance, Klotis, ID Parfums Paris, Flormar.

New Products: Yves Rocher Anti-Age Global, Yves Rocher Cotton Flower from India Soft Shower Cream, Comme une Evidence Intense Eau de Parfum, Daniel Jouvance Sea Oil for Body & Hair, Flormar Matte Touch Foundation.

Comments: The 50-year-old family-run Yves Rocher Group claims that its eponymous flagship holding is the No.1 skincare brand in France—and the No. 2 beauty brand in France after L’Oréal. All in all, the Group that operates 4,000 points of sale worldwide and claims more than 40 million customers, is on an expansion path within its home turf of France—and well beyond. The Group is known for its respect of nature and its commitment to sustainable development and environmentally responsible packaging.

Global sales for the Group for 2013 reached $3 billion. The Yves Rocher botanical beauty brand accounted for 64% of Group sales. Of the Group’s 40 million customers, the Yves Rocher brand holds 30 million—and half of the 4,000 retail global points of sale mentioned previously. The brand is unique in that it is botanist, harvester, manufacturer and distributor of its products. Thus, it says it can offer customers quality products at affordable prices.

By region, France remains the strongest, with 36% of sales, but the rest of Western Europe shares almost equally, with 33%. Eastern Europe contributed 15% and 16% was attributed to Others.
The Group reports 38% of sales are through in-store transactions. Only 10% are currently digital.

The Yves Rocher brand continues to gain ground in France, with more than 100 new points of sale planned before 2015. The brand already has 8,000 employees in France, and plans to create 1,000 new jobs over the next three years due to its expansion.

One of the Group’s largest expansions is currently underway in Brazil, where the first Yves Rocher store opened last December in São Paolo, with plans for about a dozen throughout the country by the end of this year. In February, the company opened its 37th store in Saudi Arabia at Aliat Mall.

In December 2013, the company set up a new website dedicated to suppliers (www.group-yvesrocher-suppliers.com). Olivier Djezvedjian, purchasing and quality director, said, “We believe that respect for our suppliers is the sine qua non condition of a joint work that will promote innovation, quality, internationalization, competitiveness and value creation.”

Early this year, Groupe GM and Yves Rocher announced the launch of the Un Matin au Jardin hospitality product range.

Beauty Sales: $2.7 billion (est.)

Major Products: Skin care, cosmetics and fine fragrances marketed under the brand names of Yves Rocher, Dr. Pierre Ricaud, Stanhome, Kiotis and Daniel Jouvance.

New Products: Skin care—Mexican Lime Shower Gel, Pure Calmille 2 in 1 Cleanser + Toner, Les Plaisirs Nature Wild Strawberry EDT, Limited Edition Arnica Essentiel Hand Cream; Makeup—Aquarelles Végétales Sunny tri-powder, lipgloss and nail polish; Fragrances—So Elixir, Flowerparty EDT.

Comments: The year 2009 ended in sadness as the company lost its founder, but the natural beauty pioneer’s grandson Bris, who assumed leadership, commented that while “everything has changed” in the world over the past 50 years, “nothing has changed” at Yves Rocher and that the company will continue its founder’s legacy for the 50 years to come. The Yves Rocher Group is one of the few large, family-owned, beauty-businesses in the world. It has been operating in North America since the mid-’80s running a direct mail business in Canada and the U.S. and a store business in Canada. In 2005, it launched an internet sales site as well. The European natural beauty company turned 50 years old in 2010, and in perfect character, announced that the Yves Rocher Foundation would plant 50 million trees over the next five years.

In June, Yves Rocher opened its first North American franchise, the Atelier of Botanical Beauty, in the West Edmonton Mall in Canada. In September 2010, the first Atelier store and franchise was opened in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The firm’s goal is to franchise more than 10 locations before the end of the year.

Beauty Sales: $2.5 billion
Corporate Sales: $2.9 billion

Major Products: Skin care, cosmetics and fine fragrances marketed under the brand names of Yves Rocher, Dr. Pierre Ricaud, Daniel Jouvance. New Products: Couleurs Nature, Plaisirs Nature.

Tendre Jasmin premiers this fall; it’s the fourth in Yves Rocher’s Secrets d’Essences collection.

Comments: Yves Rocher, which calls itself the world’s leader in botanical beauty care, recorded sales of $2.5 billion for cosmetics, toiletries and home care products, with corporate sales of $2.9 billion. The firm has unveiled a new visual brand identity, including a new logo, new graphics and the arrival of the Atelier of Botanical Beauty, a new store concept. Before the end of 2013, all of the company’s 1,600 stores will be transformed into Ateliers, which represents an investment of more than $315 million.

Despite the economic downturn, company executives insist that now, more than ever, is the time to launch the new visual identity, to reaffirm the company’s values and the richness of the brand as well as clearly communicate the aspects that make the brand unique.

Yves Rocher North America walks the walk, and has taken a number of steps to minimize its environmental footprint. It has earned the highest certification possible by the governing environmental agency for its head office, because the company recycles, composts or converts more than 88% of its waste. It has also stopped providing plastic bags in its stores, encouraging customers to bring their own or purchase a reusable bag at a nominal fee of 50 cents.

The company recently opened its sustainable, Eco-Spa Hotel in the Brittany region of France, where a tree is planted for every guest.

Couleurs Nature, a line of products, including color cosmetics and foundations, which are formulated with botanicals and natural ingredients, was launched this fall.

Beauty Sales: $3 billion

Products/Brands: Skin care cosmetics and fragrances marketed under the brand names of Yves Rocher, Dr. Pierre Ricaud, Stanhome, Kiotis, Daniel Jouvance.

Yves Rocher launched Secrets d’Essences Iris Noir.

New Products: Lipophenol Végétal 14 day body refiner, Secrets d’Essences Iris Noir. To be launched: Culture Bio and Spa Végétal, Sérum Végétal Oligosides, Couleurs Nature.

Comments: In 2008 and for the year ahead, Yves Rocher will emphasize its capacity as a grower, manufacturer and distributor of its own products. A new logo, a new tagline and an entirely new store concept are all in the offing. In 2009, the company will focus on emblematic product lines such as its new organic skin care line (seven products for day and night), which has an ECOCERT certification and is a carbon-offset product line. The company is also in the midst of relaunching its cosmetics line Couleurs Nature, which will contain more than 200 references; in addition, its best-selling body care line Plaisirs Nature will also be reformulated, repackaged and relaunched with even more botanical extracts. On the sustainable development front, Yves Rocher is working on having all of its European factories certified ISO 14001 for the environment as well as for health and safety standards.