Kering

Kering

Kering S.A is an international group, operating in the management of luxury goods. It owns some of the best known and most established brands, such as: Gucci, YSL, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney

Its history

Kering‘s history begins in France in the second half of the 20th century under the name of PPR (Pinault-Printemps-Redoute). The company was founded by François Henri Pinault, an entrepreneur native to the French region of Brittany, in 1963: it initially was active in the wood retail sector.

The turning point

In 1988 the company was listed on the Paris Stock Exchange and this allowed it to expand its horizons, acquiring percentages from Conforama, a furniture distributor, and Printemps, a French department store chain.

Neverthelles, this was only the beginning: once PPR acquired this disarming economic success, indeed, it was able to expand itself into the real luxury sector, and indeed it was able to buy shares in companies such as Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, YSL, Givenchy, Alexander McQueen Stella McCartney and Pomellato

The change of name

On 22nd March 2013, the company previously known as PPR unveiled its new identity as Kering, marking a significant strategic shift towards the luxury goods sector. The novel designation wasn’t merely a superficial change, but rather one laden with meaningful connotations. Foremost, it resonates with the English term ‘caring,’ reflecting the brand’s aspiration to harbor a nurturing ethos towards its stakeholders and the broader community.

Beyond this, the name Kering pays homage to the roots of the Pinault family, the principal figures behind the firm, who hail from the picturesque region of Brittany. The local dialect of this region uses the term ‘kêr’ to denote ‘home,’ thereby grounding the corporation’s identity in a sense of belonging and heritage.

This metamorphosis extended beyond the name, encapsulating a rejuvenation of the corporate visual identity as well, particularly through the introduction of a new logo. The aspiration was to embody the essence of the corporate ethos through this visual emblem, encapsulating a holistic, attentive, and encompassing vision.

After a meticulous consideration, an owl was selected as the emblem to represent Kering. The choice of this avian symbol wasn’t arbitrary but deeply symbolic. An owl, with its ability to swivel its head 270 degrees, epitomizes a wide-ranging perspective and a profound understanding of its surroundings. This characteristic resonated with Kering’s ambition to foster a comprehensive outlook, attentive to every facet of its operations and engagements. Through this nuanced transition, from its name to the logo, Kering endeavored to encapsulate its strategic shift, its nurturing ethos, its rich heritage, and its expansive vision, thereby ushering the firm into a new epoch with a rejuvenated identity.

Kering eyewear

In 2014, the Kering Group launched Kering Eyewear, which deals with the production of eyewear for twelve of the group’s brands, so making unnecessary licenses to third parties used before. In 2018 Kering Eyewear signed a strategic partnership with Richemont: the group handled the production and distribution of Cartier, thus establishing itself as a producer for third parties. Following the agreement, Richemont acquired a minority stake in Kering Eyewear.

kering

 

Current situation

In March 2013 the Group announced the sale of 50 % of Stella McCartney stakes: so they came back to previous owner. Then, in April 2018, it said it wanted to sell Volcom, sportswear company.

Moreover, in May 2018, it sold its Puma stakes: in this way it only kept a 15.7 % of the company and became a pure player in luxury market.

In the same year, in November, the Group announced it wanted to manage on its own the e-commerces of its brands, which was earlier given to third parties. These decision is part of the new digital company policy, which also involves a partnership with Apple to create new apps aimed at improving management in stores, relationships with customers and protection of their data.

On 19th July 2023 Kering announced an internal management restoration, aimed at creating «a stronger organization to fully get the growth of global luxury market»: as a consequence Marco Bizzarri left the company and his role in Gucci. He was replaced by Francesca Bellettini, already President and CEO at Yves-Saint Laurent; furthermore, Jean-François Palus, who left his executive role in Kering to replace Bizzarri as new CEO of Gucci, was replaced by Jean-Marc Duplaix, who already was Financial Director of the Group.

Kering group had a total revenue of approximately 20.35 billion euros in 2022.

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Contacts

Website

Rue de Sèvres 40, 75007, Paris

 

To read the item in Italian click here.