A major campaign to promote the consumption of organic products in France has just been launched by the Agence BIO alongside numerous interprofessional organisations and the federation Natexbio – La Maison de la Bio, with the support of the French Ministry of Agriculture[1]. The challenge for the players in the sector is to stand out to maintain strong momentum, and capitalise on their strengths.
Organic stars on the road to success
In an uncertain environment for the French organic sector, several companies are doing well and posting record growth!
This is notably the case of Cap Bambou, which offers natural alternatives to plastic products for the bathroom, kitchen and childcare sectors. Created in 2018 and based in the Ain department, the company multiplied its turnover by 10 between 2019 and 2021. After exhibiting at NATEXPO’s Lab, Cap Bambou is a natural fit for the ECO Products / ECO Services sector of the exhibition in 2022, and intends to use this new edition to continue to “raise brand awareness, meet our clients and prospects, and forge relationships and partnerships”, says Vincent Penel, the company’s Sales Director.
Alterosac has followed the same path to success. Founded in 2016, the company specialises in linen, hemp and cotton-based textile alternatives (bags, tissues, kitchen towels, coffee filters, make-up remover wipes, etc.) and has seen its turnover grow by 300% in its first few years (between 2017 and 2018, and between 2018 and 2019). Florence Herickx, the company’s director explains: “We previously exhibited at The Lab, but in view of the company’s growth, this year we will be showing in the ECO Products / ECO Services sector. (…) The exhibition allows us to meet our current and future clients, but also encounter new partners by talking to the other exhibitors at the exhibition.” This has enabled the company to pursue its development drive by diversifying its clientele with cosmetics brands (Sanoflore) and larger retail chains (Botanic).
French family success stories
More than just organic products, consumers now want to opt for products from France, produced in an eco-responsible manner, with simple ingredients and local know-how…. This demand has been taken on board by brands such as CDS, a family business based in the Drôme Provençale region of France, which conceives, designs and manufactures ecological detergent products and natural cosmetics (Ecobulle Bio, Cosmébulle, Bulle Verte). Founded in 1988, the family continues to “create and develop innovative solutions that respect the world around us, our health and each man and woman”, according to Cécile Marcesse, who runs the company alongside her parents.
Their ecological products for the home and body, manufactured in the family business, are now widely distributed in a network of organic, loose goods and zero waste shops. The company has been taking part in NATEXPO since 2007 and has continued to enjoy the benefits of the event over the years, believing that “it is the key trade event that will shape the organic sector of tomorrow.”
International brands with their sights on the French market
Foreign companies are also showing their interest in the French market, such as the cookie and cake manufacturers Farm Brothers, and We Love The Planet, which offers solid deodorants and sun creams, exhibiting on the Ecolive stand, an agency specialising in the French and export business development of organic producers. According to this agency, which now has offices in Germany and the Benelux countries, and which has been attending NATEXPO for more than 10 years with an average of ten brands at each event, NATEXPO is “an unmissable annual event! It’s an opportunity to see our producers, but also to meet prospective customers and above all to take the pulse of the organic market (new trends, innovation, etc.)”, say the founders Gregory Gicquel and Olivier Potaufeux.
Among the many successful brands already confirmed is Yogi Tea, which makes 100% organic Ayurvedic herbal teas and spices. The brand has experienced double-digit growth in turnover, with an increase of 12.1% between 2020 and 2021. Its development prospects are mainly linked to its second brand, Choice, which arrived in France in 2021 with tea blends and has continued to develop worldwide since its creation in 1989 in the United States. “It is becoming increasingly popular with consumers, and in the three months since its launch it has already been listed in more than 500 specialist shops in France. The company’s ambition is to penetrate the entire market by 2022,” says Pierre-Marie Kieffer, Sales Director for France.
Natexpo: a springboard to success
NATEXPO is a partner and a contributor to the vitality of these companies, which have seen their turnover grow over the last few years and still have many development opportunities ahead. The exhibition teams provide genuine support to exhibitors of responsible, innovative and successful brands. With six months to go before the show opens, nearly 650 exhibitors have signed up for the next edition, which will take place from 18 to 20 September at Eurexpo Lyon.
In addition, the exhibition is pulling out all the stops to welcome young organic companies, which represent 20% of the exhibition, on stand formats that will enable them to make their mark:
– the Organic Incubator, bringing together promising organic food start-ups,
– the Lab, offering a platform to the specialists in the circular economy and technological eco-innovations,
– the Cosmetics Village to spot the best new launches in the organic personal care and beauty segment,
– the Big Splash to swim a bit further in the (nearly) grown-ups’ pool… while continuing to receive support.
These innovative companies share the same objectives at NATEXPO: cultivate their relationships with their customers and suppliers, but also meet new partners to accelerate their business development, whether they operate in the fields of food, cosmetics, dietary supplements, ingredients, services, textiles, etc.
[1] Source: Agence BIO