Subject category:
Strategy and General Management
Published by:
HEC Paris
Length: 12 pages
Data source: Field research
Abstract
Camif, a former French consumer cooperative selling home furniture and electronic equipment, went bankrupt in 2008. The brand name 'Camif' and the client database were thereafter bought by Emery Jacquillat, an entrepreneur who had founded a mattress distribution company. After regaining trust from Camif's client base, he led the firm to become not only profitable again in just a few years but also to become one of the first purpose-driven companies in France in 2017. The case presents two parts: the first focuses on the process the company went through to achieve this new status, after a brief past history of its fall and rebirth, and the second examines the implementation of purpose and how the business is changing as a result. This case has been taught to MBA, post graduate and participants in executive education programs. It is especially relevant in the second part of a strategy course to show the link between purpose and strategy. This case indeed emphasizes an important notion in strategy: it is about making choices and tradeoffs. The company's strategy defined the domain of activities they should develop; more importantly, and it also dictated the activities that they needed to discontinue or domains of activities they should not enter. Purpose helps define the playing field of activities for the firm.
Geographical setting
Region:
Europe
Featured company
Camif
Employees:
51-200
Turnover:
EUR 46,090,488
Type:
Privately held
Industry:
Home furnishings
Featured protagonist
- Emery Jacquillat (male), CEO
About
Abstract
Camif, a former French consumer cooperative selling home furniture and electronic equipment, went bankrupt in 2008. The brand name 'Camif' and the client database were thereafter bought by Emery Jacquillat, an entrepreneur who had founded a mattress distribution company. After regaining trust from Camif's client base, he led the firm to become not only profitable again in just a few years but also to become one of the first purpose-driven companies in France in 2017. The case presents two parts: the first focuses on the process the company went through to achieve this new status, after a brief past history of its fall and rebirth, and the second examines the implementation of purpose and how the business is changing as a result. This case has been taught to MBA, post graduate and participants in executive education programs. It is especially relevant in the second part of a strategy course to show the link between purpose and strategy. This case indeed emphasizes an important notion in strategy: it is about making choices and tradeoffs. The company's strategy defined the domain of activities they should develop; more importantly, and it also dictated the activities that they needed to discontinue or domains of activities they should not enter. Purpose helps define the playing field of activities for the firm.
Settings
Geographical setting
Region:
Europe
Featured company
Camif
Employees:
51-200
Turnover:
EUR 46,090,488
Type:
Privately held
Industry:
Home furnishings
Featured protagonist
- Emery Jacquillat (male), CEO