We are BIC

Our passion for bringing Simplicity and Joy to people's lives is what drives our successes today, and inspires our innovations of tomorrow. With the insight of our Executive Team and unmatched industry expertise, we continue to find meaningful ways to grow our global portfolio of Brands.

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO PROFILE Business model Risk management Governance
FROM ACTION
TO PERFORMANCE
FROM RESILIENCE
TO TRANSFORMATION

From resilience
to transformation

The essential products we create and the love that our consumers have for them is what has kept the BIC® brand resilient during times of major economic or market turmoil for more than 75 years.
Launched in 2019, our Invent the Future transformation Plan has strengthened our core capabilities, and given us a solid foundation on which to grow.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Risks and opportunities TRENDS Invent the future
WE ARE BIC
FROM TRANSFORMATION
TO ACTION

From transformation
to action

Our Horizon Strategic Plan shines a spotlight on our consumers more than ever before.
Grounded on Sustainable Innovation, this new consumer-centric approach will help us respond faster and better to evolving consumer demands while keeping our Brand relevant and purposeful for decades to come.

HORIZON innovation industry & supply chain commercial excellence sustainability TEAM MEMBERS
FROM RESILIENCE
TO TRANSFORMATION
FROM ACTION
TO PERFORMANCE

From action
to performance

Our Strategy is proving successful, resulting in robust Financial Performance and solid Value Creation for all Stakeholders. With our new consumer-centric business model, we are in the best position possible to meet the needs of changing consumer behavior with products that will continue to surprise and delight.

Performance Engaging with stakeholders
FROM TRANSFORMATION
TO ACTION
WE ARE BIC

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

MEETING NEW
CHALLENGES
AND SEIZING NEW
OPPORTUNITIES

As the pandemic continued throughout 2021, our Business was confronted by many new challenges. While some have strained our Operations in ways never imagined, others have flexed our creative problem-solving skills and helped us weather times of uncertainty.

MACRO-ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

  • High energy prices and fuel shortages limiting manufacturing of key materials and intermediate goods
  • Bottlenecks in production chains spreading to more generalized shortages of raw materials
  • Shortage of workers – tight labor market – upskilling and reskilling
  • Inflationary pressure
  • Strong but imbalanced economic recovery: solid in North America and Europe, still fragile in India and Latin America
  • Climate change

CONSUMER TRENDS

  • Increasing focus on product quality, value-added experiences, seamless shopping
  • Acceleration of e-commerce:
    • Acceleration of digital, analytics and digital shopping
    • Major changes to how people live, work and shop
    • Increased importance of Direct-to-Consumer
  • A home-centric lifestyle
  • Greater desire for creative expression
  • Personalization: Customers increasingly base their buying decisions on perceptions of a brand, and on its ability to form a unique relationship with them
  • Search for eco-responsible products
  • Looking for purpose: consumers expect the products they buy to be eco-responsible and increasingly base their purchasing decisions on evidence of purpose; “conscious consumerism”; value-based buying habits; focus on ESG.
bic_photos-4tiers03-outside
bic_photos-4tiers03-outside
bic_photos-4tiers04-inside
bic_photos-4tiers04-inside

The emergence
of a “homebody economy”

The pandemic and lockdown measures forced a large percentage of the population to do more from home than ever: working, but also shopping, exercising, and consuming entertainment. People increasingly consider their home as the focal point of their lives. As their lives revolve more closely around where they live, so have their spending habits, with a surge of sales in well-being products, such as kitchen supplies, repair and home improvement. Employees who now work part time from home are willing to spend money to make it as comfortable as possible.

risks and
opportunities

BIC is exposed to different risks that could affect its reputation, performance and ability to achieve the objectives of its strategic plan. Therefore, the Group takes an active and dynamic approach to risk management, anticipating and managing risks while seeking to convert them into opportunities.

social and
human industrial and
commercial Intellectual,
brand and image Environmental Financial

Risks

  • Team members’ health and safety (NFPS*)
  • Team members’ experience and skills (NFPS*)
  • Human Rights and fundamental freedoms (NFPS*)

opportunities

  • Position BIC as an attractive employer thanks to an ambitious health and safety program
  • Develop programs that promote the employability of employees within and outside the company
  • Enhance the culture of quality control and strengthen relationships with our strategic suppliers
  • Develop a culture of inclusion that makes the company stronger and better prepared for the future

BIC’s response

  • “Writing the Future, Together” – Commitment #3: aim for zero accidents on Group sites by 2025
  • “Writing the Future, Together” – Commitment #4: proactively involving suppliers
  • Group program of Health, Safety and Wellness
  • Support of team members’ career evolution through individual development plans
  • Group Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program
  • BIC’s commitment to Human Rights: BIC Speak-Up alert system, open to third parties in 2019
  • Social audit program

Risks

  • Strategic and operational risks
  • Industrial risks
  • Product safety and consumer health and safety (NFPS*)

opportunities

  • Respond to consumers’ evolving needs: demand for eco-responsible products, growth of online commerce, need for creativity and self-expression
  • Penetrate new markets through close relationships with BIC’s suppliers and constant product quality controls
  • Position BIC as a reference brand in terms of product quality and safety

BIC’s response

  • Regulatory monitoring and compliance; processes for bringing to the market compliant products that are safe for consumer’s health and the environment, systematic testing and evaluation program
  • Close monitoring of distributors’ sales and orders
  • Implementation and monitoring of preventive measures and safety system for gas and solvent storage areas
  • Team membersʼ training to recognize potential hazards and take corrective actions
  • Implementation of a Product Safety Policy

Risks

  • Reputation and brand (NFPS*)
  • Corruption and fair practices (NFPS*)

opportunities

  • Position the BIC® Brand as a responsible brand ensuring quality and safety
  • Grow the culture of ethics within the company
  • Make BIC’s responsible approach to product design a differentiating factor in its markets

BIC’s response

  • “Writing the Future, Together” – Commitment #1: fostering sustainable innovation in BIC® products
  • Communication programs with customers and consumers to promote the quality of BIC® products
  • Investment of a significant portion of Net Sales in R&D
  • Continued education in the fight against corruption
  • Continued support to communities through the BIC Corporate Foundation with a particular focus on Education

Risks

  • Environmental footprint (NFPS*)
  • Climate change (NFPS*)
  • Production of plastic waste and resource depletion (NFPS*)

opportunities

  • Increase the use of recycled or alternative materials in products
  • Set up circular economy loops
  • Optimize production costs by limiting the use of resources

BIC’s response

  • “Writing the Future, Together” – Commitment #2: taking action on climate change
  • Continuous reduction of direct and indirect CO2 emissions per ton of production
  • Eco-design of BIC® products
  • Improved procurement process of packaging suppliers
  • Adapt the production process to the circular economy

Risks

  • Market risks

opportunities

  • Reinforce the Group’s ability to finance its development and invest in its future

BIC’s response

  • Maintain a solid cash position, enabling BIC to invest in operations and targeted acquisitions, and to ensure sustained Shareholder Return

* NFPS: Non-Financial Performance Statement.

Trends

MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
OUT OF MARKET TRENDS

human_expression
human_expression

Human Expression

TRENDS

  • High demand for coloring products generally driven by more time spent on creativity and arts & crafts at home
  • Desire for digital tools triggered by the pandemic
  • Shift to online shopping

OPPORTUNITIES

  • Leverage growing trend of e-commerce with relevant and adapted channel products and packaging
  • Explore stationery segments and products most complementary to remote learning and working
  • Desire from consumers for more creative expression through art
flame_for_life
flame_for_life

Flame for Life

TRENDS

  • Decrease of tobacco consumption
  • Need for personalization
  • Increasing global population
  • Raising demand for utility lighters

OPPORTUNITIES

  • Launch of innovative products, addressing better non-tobacco-related usages
  • Increased portion of sales from decorated and personalized lighters
blade-excellence
blade-excellence

Blade Excellence

TRENDS

  • Changing of grooming habits: less frequent facial shaving, more body shaving and trimming
  • Increased online channels for shopping for beauty and personal-care products expected to continue post COVID-19 pandemic
  • Increased demand for more environmentally friendly products
  • The development of “indie brands”

OPPORTUNITIES

  • Leverage the female shave growth trends
  • Capitalize on disposable premium male trend
  • Recognize shift of Personal Care to e-commerce
  • Leverage “Indie brands” need for high-quality blades

Invent the future

The foundation
OF OUR
TRANSFORMATION

Launched in 2019, our transformation plan, Invent the Future, has strengthened our Global Operations and unlocked long-term Growth potential. In 2021, BIC achieved each of its four operational Targets one year ahead of schedule.

Invent
the future

The transformation plan gave us the solid foundations on which to remain resilient:

  • New organization
  • Enhanced skills and capabilities
  • Consumer-centric innovation
  • Global end-to-end supply chain
  • Reinforcement and consolidation of overall efficiency
  • Omnichannel Go-To-Market Strategy
  • Extended brand leadership
  • Strengthened market positions
  • Expansion in e-commerce

EFFECTIVENESS

Increase efficiency throughout BIC’s global manufacturing operations and build a more comprehensive, flexible, cost-effective, data-centric and responsible production model by exploring ways to optimize procurement processes and our Supply Chain model while maintaining product Safety, Quality, and Affordability.

2022 TARGET: Achieve €50 million in annualized savings

2021 PERFORMANCE: 50 million in savings from the improved efficiency of our Global Supply Chain and Commercial Operations

INNOVATION

Enhance BIC’s consumer insights capabilities
and increase the pace of new innovative product launches to drive consumer-centric sustainable innovation.

2022 TARGET: Increase the number of new patent submissions by 20% per year

2021 PERFORMANCE: + 21% increase of new patent submissions

RELEVANT AND CONSUMER-CENTRIC BRANDS

Connect and engage more effectively with all consumers to continue to leverage BIC’s unique brands, tailoring and strengthening our digital communications infrastructure and embracing new shopping trends such as personalization.

2022 TARGET: Engage directly with consumers by allocating above 2/3rd of total brand support in Digital Media in its top markets

2021 PERFORMANCE: 83% media investment in digital

OMNICHANNEL DISTRIBUTION

Sharpen commercial operations to become a genuine omnichannel specialist, offline and online, to drive value growth.

2022 TARGET: Reach 10% of Net Sales in e-commerce

2021 PERFORMANCE: 10% of total Net Sales from e-commerce, including Rocketbook