Translations

MAISONS DU MONDE, towards better products traceability.

1. Organizational Governance

Transparency and communication

Sector Business / Distribution

Year 2014

Country France

Transmitter

Context

Maisons du Monde is a French furniture and decoration provider founded in Brest in 1990 by Xavier MARIE. The brand owns more than 240 shops in Europe, including 180 shops in France.

In 2006, Maisons du Monde launched its online store with 5,000 references. Wood being a major resource for Maisons du Monde, the company has decided to take action to limit its impact on forest resources. Maisons du monde thus set up a traceability program for its products from the tree plantation to the artisan to the client, highliting the local know-how.

Objectives

Be transparent for clients
Preserve the used primary resource: the wood
Create more responsible products
Fight against deforestation

APPROACH

First of all Maisons du Monde must create a MAPING to locate its products origin. Then, the company must AUDIT all the supply chain to ensure that social and environmental norms are respected. Finally, the brand has to COMMUNICATE about its engagement towards sustainable development while educating its clients regarding the different types of labels (PEFC, FSC).

To achieve that, Maisons du Monde establishes a support and sensibilization plan for its providers and develops, at a local level, partnerships with development programs. This traceability program leads to the allocation of supplementary resources such as a person who is checking the norms local application.

Moreover, to increase its communication campaign toward its customers, Maisons du Monde has to raise their awareness. The company does it through ludic tags about labels and with an information website: developpementdurable.maisonsdumonde.com.

On the long-term, Maisons du Monde actively participate to the formation of the future generations through the creation of the Design Trophy in partnership with the label FSC.

Best Practises spotted in 2014 by the World Forum for a Sustainable Economy.

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

Important economic growth (20 new shops each year).
The traceability politics makes up a good return on investment thanks to the accompaniment plan of providers. Indeed, the use of certified wood should raise the selling price of 40%, yet it increase only from 2%.
Improvement of the relationship with suppliers which generates a better stocks and supply-chain management.

Benefits

Implication of local populations allows to value their work and their know-how and enhances the human development needed to the preservation of the environment.
Creating trust among communities.
Efficient fight against deforestation, preserving biodiversity and the local population, knowing that more than 300 million people directly live in or near forests.