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BEYOND 

LIMITS 

B U S I N E S S A N D S U S TA I N A B L E D E V E L O P M E N T R E P O R T 2 0 1 0

Contents 

I N T R O D U C T I O N 

G R O U P E S E B 

I N F I G U R E S 

O P E R AT I O N S 

E X P E R T I S E 

S U S TA I N A B L E 

D E V E L O P M E N T 

1-7 8-21 22-49 50-65 66-83 

Sales 

€3,652 million 

+15% 

Operations 

in almost 

150 countries 

Net income 

€220 million 

+51% 

A WORLD 

LEADING GROUP 

IN SMALL DOMESTIC 

EQUIPMENT 

23,000 employees 

60 

marketing 

companies 

24 sites 

production 

at 31 December 2010

B U S I N E S S A N D S U S T A I N A B L E D E V E L O P M E N T R E P O R T 

2010 

MORE THAN WORDS, 

OUR STRENGTHS 

The Group’s key strengths provide a solid basis for all its endeavours, allowing it to go beyond limits and 

achieve well-dened strategic goals. 

A BALANCED 

SPREAD 

of global sales. Expansion 

in emerging markets, which now 

account for 44% of our revenues, 

gives driving force to our growth. 

SOLID 

financial fundamentals. A very low level of 

debt, at 9% of equity, and a healthy 

balance sheet, give the Group a comfortable 

margin of financial manoeuvre. 

The Group’s history is dotted with landmark innovations: 

the pressure cooker, nonstick pans, multi-function 

food processors…and still today, the Nutricook, 

the minimal-oil Actifry, the AutoClean iron 

with its self-cleaning soleplate, or the low-noise 

Silence Force vacuum cleaner. More than 

200 new products and models launched each year. 

A CULTURE OF INNOVATION

LONG-TERM 

FOCUS 

Our stable investor base (43.7% 

are Group family shareholders) 

allows us to look beyond cyclical swings 

with a strategy oriented to the future. 

COMMITMENT 

to corporate responsibility. We aim for both the economic and sustainable 

development of our company, while being attentive to the wellbeing 

of humanity and our planet. Our products are more than 70% potentially 

recyclable. 

BRAND 

CAPITAL 

An outstanding portfolio of 20 famous iconic 

brands, with complementary appeal that gives 

greater coherence and added value to our 

product offer. 

A GROWTH 

DYNAMIC 

fuelled by a balanced combination of organic growth and 

acquisitions: sales multiplied by 2 between 2000 and 2010; 

7 acquisitions or takeovers in 10 years. 

ETHICAL 

VALUES 

inherited from the Group’s founders. Shared by all, 

these values are another key to our success: 

spirit of enterprise, a passion for innovation, 

professionalism, corporate team spirit and 

respect for the individual.

1 

Chairman’s 

message 

A BUSINESS MODEL BASED ON PROFITABLE GROWTH 

Our business model is, first and foremost, focused on achieving growth 

through innovation, continued global expansion, powerful brands and 

diversified distribution. It also relies on our ability to be competitive, 

which springs from our industrial strategy and strict management of 

invested capital and costs, with a constant eye on the goal of financial 

stability. 

2010: A RECORD PERFORMANCE 

After a decade of exploits and steady progress, which saw our sales 

double and our operating margin rise uninterruptedly to almost triple 

its level over the period, Groupe SEB put in a record performance 

in 2010. 

This achievement was built on the sound fundamentals that form the 

bedrock of our enterprise, underpinned by a stable shareholder base 

favourable to a long-term outlook, and by the founding values that we 

put to work each day to meet our obligations to all our stakeholders. 

To ensure growth, we use innovation – a mainstay of our strategy 

and a motive force behind our development. Indeed, innovation is built 

into our genes. The Group’s history is dotted with market triumphs, 

innovative breakthroughs, clever ideas and novel solutions that offer 

benefits to consumers and create value. Two recent examples are the 

minimal-oil Actifry and the Silence Force low-noise vacuum cleaner. 

Our international expansion, pursued over the last 40 years, has 

given us the most far-reaching global presence in our industry today, 

with number 1 positions in many countries. Our comprehensive product 

offer, spanning most market segments, is built around a large 

portfolio of powerful brands with high-profile regional or global 

impact. selling through all distribution channels, both modern and 

traditional, gives us access to a broad spectrum of consumers. 

The coordinated deployment of all these vectors of growth can only 

continue to add to the status of Groupe SEB as a global benchmark 

in the small Domestic equipment sector. 

To ensure profitability, the Group’s competitive performance relies on 

its industrial strategy, based on the expertise of our working teams, 

unique industrial processes, constant adaptation of our manufacturing 

base, and a balanced geographic spread of production between 

mature and emerging markets. Keys to boosting profitability include 

rigorous management of our plant investment and of the working 

capital requirement, and strict control of costs. 

The Group’s performance in 2010 was also thanks to the dynamism 

of our business model and our resolutely long-term strategy.


2010 

our mission is To ConTinue 

invenTing Tomorrow’s 

worlD anD pave The way 

for progress... 

THE ONLY LIMIT TO INNOVATION IS IMAGINATION 

Our industry and our products are central to the daily lives 

of consumers around the globe. Our mission is to continue 

inventing tomorrow’s world and pave the way for progress 

through cutting-edge concepts and new functional features 

that improve the quality of day-to-day life. To do this, we must 

anticipate desires to make innovation relevant by being 

alert to fast-changing consumer habits, and to growing 

demands for products attentive to human health, the 

environment and specific local needs. The Group’s aim is not 

to impose standardized products across all markets, but 

to offer an adapted response to the needs and desires of 

consumers, wherever they may be. Indeed, despite a growing 

trend to similitude and the crossbreeding of cultures, 

regional food habits persist: we need efficient soya milk 

extractors for China, compact storable electric kettles and 

pressure cookers for Japan, appliances for healthy and tasty 

cooking in Europe, and mini spice-grinders for the Middle 

East. For Groupe SEB, the diversity of these needs is an 

enticement to enrich and expand its product offer, 

while seizing new opportunities for growth. in these 

circumstances, there is no limit to innovation. 

S A L E S G R O W T H I N E M E R G I N G M A R K E T S : 

+18%in 2010 

GOING BEYOND FRONTIERS 

The desire to reach out to consumers around the world is 

what motivates our global expansion strategy. Today, this has 

given the Group a balanced spread of business between 

mature markets (56% of sales) and emerging markets (44% 

of sales), which require different marketing approaches. 

in developed markets, where demand is driven mainly by 

product renewal and moving up-range, a rise of 4% in sales 

in 2010 reveals the growth potential of these markets, which 

are today strongly drawn by innovation. Hence, the Group’s 

strategy of launching lots of new products and models each 

year to stimulate sales and add fresh interest to product 

displays in retail stores. This demand will also be met in 2010 

with the re-launch of the Moulinex brand in the nine 

European countries ruled out by the European Commission 

in 2002 – which offers a bright prospect for the Group, as it 

re-gains a foothold in these markets where the Moulinex 

brand still enjoys a strong reputation. 

in emerging markets, driven by demand for first-time 

equipment, the Group recorded 18% growth in sales in 

2010, thanks in particular to robust trading in China, revived 

demand in Brazil and a marked recovery in Russia, Ukraine 

and Turkey. Continued development in these rapid-growth 

markets, which today represent more than three-quarters of 

the world's population, offers an excellent springboard for 

future sales and a unique opportunity to broaden our global 

consumer audience. As in the past, we will continue to 

combine organic growth and tactical or strategic acquisitions 

to make advances and exploit the high potential of these 

markets. Promising signs are already seen in the strong 

progress of Supor in China in 2010, and in the acquisition 

of Colombia’s Imusa in February 2011. In addition to extra 

business in the Colombian market, this takeover brings new 

opportunities for the Group both in Central America and 

among the Hispanic community in the United States.

C H A I R M A N ’ S M E S S A G E 

2 - 3 

C O R P O R AT E 

+23% 

O P E R AT I N G M A R G I N : 

in 2010 

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY 

AND THE BALANCE OF STAKEHOLDER INTERESTS 

While the progress of Groupe SEB is indeed measured by 

market share gains and regular improvement in its financial 

performance, its corporate project is not limited to financial 

goals, but is also concerned with the need to respect the 

balance of interests involved in environmental, social and 

ethical issues. 

In keeping with the corporate values that inspire the Group, 

we pay special attention to sustainable development at every 

stage in the life of our products. Constantly aware of the need 

to respect natural ecological principles, we strive at the 

design stage to ensure optimum recyclability, at the production 

stage to reduce energy consumption, and in the supply 

chain to limit the impact of transport on the environment. 

In the area of human resources, we provide for the Group’s 

strong expansion by actively collaborating with French 

universities and Grandes Ecoles to attract graduates at every 

level of the company. We also work to promote youth 

employment through apprenticeship, day-release and 

internship schemes. 

Meanwhile, the Group continues to closely associate its 

employees with the company’s results through, for example, 

bonus and profit sharing schemes in France. 

We are also committed to promoting social integration. 

This is a particular concern of the Groupe SEB Foundation, 

which is focused on three action areas: return to employment, 

housing, and education & training. It funded more than 

45 projects in 2010. Our Foundation has also provided 

humanitarian aid at times of natural disaster – events which, 

unhappily, have been on the increase in recent years, for 

example, in China, Haiti, and, more recently, Japan. 

By contributing in this way to resolving some of the world’s 

major environmental and social issues, the Group 

demonstrates its willingness to fully participate in the society 

in which it operates. 

CONFIDENCE FOR 2011 

Encouraged by the dynamic performance of 2010, and 

backed by the professionalism, talent and resolute commitment 

of all our employees, we can look forward to 2011 and 

the coming decade with confidence and ambition. We will 

take full advantage of our strong global positions to get the 

best out of all our assets, and to ensure the continued growth 

of our business. In this context of widely fluctuating currencies 

and the still-rising cost of raw materials, the Group’s active 

pricing strategy, strict control of overheads and an adapted 

product mix, will be used as combined levers to spur sales 

growth and ensure further rises in the value of our operating 

margin and continued generation of cash flow. 

Clearly, we must take account of tragic events like those 

that occurred in Japan in recent weeks, as well as the 

consequences of socio-political unrest in a number of 

countries since the beginning of the year. Our thoughts are 

primarily for the people affected by those tragedies. 

The announced plan to raise our stake in Supor’s capital by 

a further 20% (subject to obtaining the required approval) 

is intended to consolidate the long-term investment we 

made in China in 2007 and thus ensure the continued 

growth of supor with the backing of a solid and stable 

shareholder base. 

Overall, our business model which is focused on profitable 

growth has helped us to steer safely through structural crises 

and fluctuating markets, thanks to our ability to adapt as 

needed, while keeping our sights firmly set on the future. 

We have never sacrificed our long-term goals to short-term 

expedient. We will continue to combine these two 

perspectives, as we respond to market realities and changing 

trends, and go on consolidating our global leadership. 

Thierry de la Tour d’artaise 

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer


2010 

BOARD 

Of DIRECTORS 

7 MEETINGS IN 2010 

WITH 90% ATTENDANCE 

CLEAR OPERATING PRINCIPLES 

Representative of all the shareholders, the Board of Directors determines Group strategy and makes decisions about Group management structures and 

takeovers. It also carries out any audits or verifications, as appropriate. 

The Board of Directors comprises 15 members elected for four years, with terms of office renewed on a rotating basis. Four of these are independent 

Directors, in compliance with AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance rules. 

It operates specialist sub-committees to assist it in specific areas. Each committee reports to the Board on the results of its studies and preparatory work in its 

specialist area. 

THIERRY DE LA TOUR D’ARTAISE 

Member of the Founder group, aged 56. 

Chairman and Chief Executive 

Officer of SEB SA. 

119,479 shares held. 

1 - TRISTAN BOITEUX 

Member of the Founder group, 

member of FÉDÉRACTIVE, aged 48. 

102,625 shares held 

(of which 99,610 bare-owner shares). 

2 - DAMARYS BRAIDA 


member of VENELLE INVESTISSEMENT, aged 43. 



3 - NORBERT DENTRESSANGLE 

Independent Director, aged 56. 


4 - FÉDÉRACTIVE 

Shareholder investment company, 

represented by its Chairman, Pascal Girardot, aged 55. 

Member of the Founder group. 

10,225,760 shares held (of which 10,225,757 usufruct shares). 

5 - HUBERT FÈVRE* 



543,280 shares held (of which 533,380 bare-owner shares). 

6 - FFP – SOCIÉTÉ FONCIÈRE, FINANCIÈRE 

ET DE PARTICIPATIONS 

A holding company listed on the Paris stock exchange 

and majority-held by the Peugeot family group, 

represented by Christian Peugeot, aged 57. 

2,521,522 shares held. 

7 - JACQUES GAIRARD* 



Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SEB SA 

from 1990 to 2000. 


1 2 

3 4 

5 6 

7

G O V E R N A N C E 

04 - 05 

ACTIVE COMMITTEES 

THE AUDIT COMMITTEE informs the Board on the identification, evaluation and handling of the main risks to which the 

Group is exposed. In particular, it ensures the suitability of the methods used for drawing up the accounts, advises and makes 

recommendations to the Board as relevant, and participates in the appointment of statutory auditors. It met four times in 2010, 

with 82% attendance. 

4 MEMBERS: 

Philippe Lenain, Chairman, Norbert Dentressangle, 

Hubert Fèvre representing FÉDÉRACTIVE, and Jérôme Wittlin representing VENELLE INVESTISSEMENT. 

THE NOMINATIONS AND REMUNERATION COMMITTEE reports to the Board on its work, makes recommendations on 

the composition of the Board, the terms of office of members and the organization and structure of the Group. It also makes 

proposals to the Board on policy for the remuneration of company officers, and on stock option plans. It met four times in 

2010, with full attendance. 

4 MEMBERS: 

Jean-Noël Labroue, Chairman, Philippe Lenain, Pascal Girardot representing FÉDÉRACTIVE, and Olivier Roclore representing 

VENELLE INVESTISSEMENT. 

8 9 10 11 

12 13 14 

8 - JEAN-NOËL LABROUE 


800 shares held. 

9 - PHILIPPE LENAIN 



10 - CÉDRIC LESCURE* 





11 - FRÉDÉRIC LESCURE 





12 - JEAN-DOMINIQUE SENARD 



13 - VENELLE INVESTISSEMENT 

A family company formed in 1997, 

represented by Olivier Roclore, aged 56, 

member of the Founder group. 

7,461,243 shares held 

(of which 7,443,341 usufruct shares). 

14 - JÉRÔME WITTLIN 




(of which 330 bare-owner shares). 

At 31 December 2010, Board members held 43.75% of capital and 57.51% of voting rights. 

*Renewal proposed at the AGM of 17 May 2011.


2010 

MANAGEMENT 

BODIES 

THE GROUP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE implements overall Group strategy. In addition to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, it comprises 

five members with extensive professional experience, including in major international groups in France and abroad, and who now 

occupy key company functions. Meeting twice a month, the Group Executive Committee oversees strategic plans, defines consolidated goals, 

decides on priorities and allocates the resources needed for Strategic Business Areas, Continental Structures and Group Functions. 

1 - Thierry de LA TOUR D’ARTAISE 

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SEB SA since 

2000, aged 56. 

A graduate of the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris, 

he began his career in the United States as Audit 

Manager with Coopers & Lybrand, then serving as Chief 

Financial Officer and later as Chief Executive Officer of 

Croisières Paquet (Groupe Chargeurs). 

He joined Groupe SEB in 1994, becoming Chairman 

of Calor, before being appointed Deputy Chairman of 

SEB SA in 1999. 

Board member of Club Méditerranée SA, Plastic 

Omnium and Legrand, and permanent representative 

of Sofinaction on the Board of Lyonnaise de Banque. 

Board member of Supor since January 2008. 

2 - Jean-Pierre LAC 

Senior Executive Vice-President, Finance, since 2002, 

aged 60. 

A graduate of the École des Hautes Etudes Commerciales, 

he worked in various countries in different financial posts 

for Rhône Poulenc, and then for Philips where he was 

Corporate Treasurer in the Netherlands. Before joining 

Groupe SEB, he was Finance Director and a member of 

the Executive Committee of Aventis Cropscience. 

Board member of Siparex Associés since 2007. 


3 - Stéphane LAFLÈCHE 

Senior Executive Vice-President, Industrial Operations, 

since 2009, aged 56. 

A graduate of the Institut Supérieur d’Electronique de 

Paris, he began his career as a Development Engineer 

with Dassault Electronics. He then moved to the Philips 

Consumer Electronics group, and later to Mannesmann 

VDO Automotive, before returning to Philips Consumer 

Electronics in 1999 as Director of Industrial Operations. 

Director of Supor since March 2010. 

4 - Bertrand NEUSCHWANDER 

Senior Executive Vice-President, Strategic Business 

Areas, since 2010, aged 49. 

A graduate engineer of INSA Paris-Grignon, he holds 

an MBA from INSEAD. He began his career with Arthur 

Andersen & Cie., later moving to Apax Partners & Cie. 

He then joined Groupe Aubert as Chairman and Chief 

Executive Officer, and later Groupe Devanlay/Lacoste 

where he served as Managing Director. 

5 - Harry TOURET 

Senior Executive Vice-President, Human Resources, 


He holds post-graduate diplomas in management 

science and corporate human resources. He worked for 

Rhône Poulenc Agro in human resources, and then for 

Aventis Cropscience as World Human Resources 

Director. 

6 - Frédéric VERWAERDE 

Senior Executive Vice-President, Continental Structures, 


A graduate of Audencia, Nantes, he gained experience 

with Proctor & Gamble and Renault Trucks before 

embarking on an international career with Black & 

Decker. He entered Groupe SEB as Director of Products 

and later became Export Director. Appointed Director 

for Mercosur markets in 1998 in São Paulo, he was 

given charge of the Group’s Cookware business in 

2000, and of Western European markets in 2005. 


1 2 3 

4 5 6

G O V E R N A N C E 

06 - 07 

THE GROUP MANAGEMENT BOARD comprises the members of the Group Executive 

Committee and the Presidents of Strategic Business Areas, Continental Structures, Strategy and 

Innovation. It meets on average every two months to follow up and monitor the Group’s 

performance and results, and if necessary, adjust its commercial or industrial strategy. A forum 

for exchange of views and reflection, the Group Management Board plays a supervisory role and 

ensures the proper overall functioning of the Group. 

CONTINENTAL GENERAL MANAGEMENT 

LUC GAUDEMARD 

VOLkER LIXFELD 

PATRICk LLOBREGAT 

GÉRARD SALOMMEz 

FERNANDO SOARES 

President, Western Europe 

President, North America 

President, Eastern Hemisphere 

President, France, French overseas territories, and Belgium 

President, South America 

STRATEGIC BUSINESS AREAS 

CYRIL BUXTORF 

PHILIPPE CREVOISIER 

CHRISTIAN RINGUET 

President, Home and Personal care 

President, kitchen electrics 

President, Cookware 

OTHER GENERAL MANAGEMENT 

PATRICk LE CORRE 

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE SIMON 

President, Strategy 

President, Innovation


2010 

G R O U P E S E B I N F I G U R E S 

MORE THAN WORDS, 

THE fIGURES 

O V E R V I E W S 

F I N A N C I A L 10 

S E B S H A R E 16 

S O C I A L P E R F O R M A N C E 18 

E N V I R O N M E N T 20


8 -9


2010 

FINANCIAL 

OVERVIEW 

RECORD PERfORMANCE 

“2010, an excellent year in many ways. 

The general economic context last year was more favourable than in 2009: good overall 

trading in mature markets, revived consumer spending in most emerging economies, 

brisk demand in small domestic equipment, and a rise in the value of most currencies in 

relation to the euro. In this favourable environment, our strong world positions, the constant 

enrichment and renewal of our product offer, our competitive pricing policy, and reinforced 

marketing and advertising campaigns were all decisive in bolstering sales, which recorded 

9.6% organic growth. There was also a significant positive exchange effect, in sharp contrast 

with the very negative impact in 2009. 

Meanwhile, our operating performance saw a further marked improvement, with an 

operating margin of €438 million – up 23% due largely to a favourable volume effect and, 

to a lesser extent, to a positive exchange impact. The Group achieved this while, at the same 

time, it increased its investment for the future in the areas of R&D, marketing, advertising 

and sales. With much lower restructuring charges than in 2009, and notwithstanding a rise 

in bonus and profit sharing (which reflected good performance levels in France), net income 

came to €220 million, which was a year-on-year gain of 51%. 

Moreover, cash flow generated by this robust trading 

helped us again to reduce our level of debt 

by €112 million, thus further strengthening our 

balance sheet and giving the Group ample scope 

for financial manoeuvre. The acquisition 

of the Colombian company, Imusa, finalized on 

28 February 2011, offers an ideal opportunity 

to expand the Group’s operations in Latin 

America. 

” 

Jean-Pierre Lac, 

Senior Executive Vice-President, Finance


10 -11 

KEY fIGURES AT THE END Of DECEMBER 2010 

Sales 

€3,652 M 

+15%* (+9.6% 

at constant 

parity) 

Operating margin €438 M +23% 

Net income €220 M +51% 

Debt 

€131 M 

€-112 M 

(on 2009) 

CHANGE IN SALES, OVER 5 YEARS 

Consolidated (€M) 

3,652 

3,230 3,176 

2,870 

2,652 

CHANGE IN SALES 2010 – 2009 

In €M 

+305 

Organic 

growth 

+171 

Currencies 

3,176 + 9.6% + 5.4% 3,652 

+ 15% 

2009 2010 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

ANNUAL SALES 

BY GEOGRAPHIC ZONE 

In €M 2009 2010 Current Constant 

exchange parity 

rates 

France 685 712 + 3.9% + 3.9% 

Other western Europe countries728 787 + 8.1% + 7.5% 

North America 349 404 + 15.9% + 7.5% 

South America 262 346 + 32.2% + 12.4% 

Asia-Pacific 600 764 + 27.4% + 18.9% 

Central Europe, Russia 

and other countries 552 639 + 15.7% + 9.4% 

Total 3,176 3,652 + 15.0% + 9.6% 

BALANCED SALES BETWEEN 

MATURE AND EMERGING MARKETS 

Mature markets: 56% 

Emerging markets: 44% 

Organic 

growth 

+4% 

2010 SALES: 

GROWTH PERfORMANCE BY PRODUCT LINE 

Growth at constant parity (%) 

30 

Organic 

20 

growth 

+18% 

Food 

preparation 

10 

0 

Personal 

care 

Beverage 

preparation 

Linen 

care 

Home 

comfort 

Home 

cleaning 

Electric 

cooking 

Cookware


2010 

FINANCIAL 

OVERVIEW 

A MARKED INCREASE IN THE OPERATING MARGIN 

The Group has seen its operating margin rise steadily over the last 

five years, despite the difficult economic context. Constant 

adaptation to market realities is an important key to the Group’s 

enduring performance. 

fINANCING 

Beyond the exceptional level of 2009, good financial management 

has led to a significant overall improvement in the working capital 

requirement over the last five years. 

A HEALTHY fINANCIAL POSITION 

At the end of 2010, the level of net debt was at its lowest 

in the last 15 years. The debt ratio of less than 10% of equity 

testifies to the financial health and soundness of the Group. 

HIGHLIGHT 

! 

TOP TRIBUTE fOR GROUPE SEB fINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 

Last December, for the first time, France’s National Association of Financial Managers and Management Control (DFCG), via its magazine 

‘Echanges’ and in partnership with the financial daily ‘Les Echos’, ranked French companies for outstanding financial management. The ranking 

was based on 1,500 questionnaires sent to leading French listed and unlisted companies. Groupe SEB was singled out for the top award, with 

special mention for its risk control management, productivity and financial performance strategy.


12-13 

fINANCIAL POSITION 

fURTHER IMPROVED 

CHANGE IN OPERATING MARGIN 

OVER 5 YEARS (IN VALUE) 

In €M 

BREAKDOWN Of THE OPERATING MARGIN 

In €M 

262 

301 

+67% 

342 

355 

438 

+156 

-10 

-19 

-76 +32 

355 438 

Volume 

effect 

Price & 

mix effect 

Purchase Overheads Currency 

costs 

impact 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2009 2010 

NET DEBT/ EBITDA 

OPERATIONAL WORKING CAPITAL 

REQUIREMENT as % of sales 

3 

2 

1 

1.3 

1.9 

1.7 

0.6 

30.5 

28.6 

27.7 

21.9 

24.0 

0 

0.3 

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

BREAKDOWN Of CHANGE IN NET DEBT 

In €M 

CHANGE IN fINANCIAL DEBT 

OVER 5 YEARS 

243 -456 

+56 

-33 

+119 

+30 

+124 

-63 

131 

0.5 

422 

0.7 

585 

0.6 

649 

243 

Debt at 

end 2009 

Cash 

flow 

+111 

Taxes and 

financial 

expense 

Dividends 

Sale of 

shares 

Investments 

Restructuring 

WCR* 

Other 

Debt at 

end 2010 

2006 

2007 

2008 

0.2 

2009 

0.1 

131 

2010 

*Working capital requirement 

Net debt at 31.12 (€M) 

Gearing ratio


2010 

FINANCIAL 

OVERVIEW 

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT 

Years ended 31 December (in € millions) 2010 2009 2008 

Revenue 3,651.8 3,176.3 3,230.2 

Operating expenses (3,213.9) (2,820.9) (2,888.5) 

OPERATING MARGIN 437.9 355.4 341.7 

Discretionary and non-discretionary profit-sharing (50.4) (33.5) (38.2) 

RECURRING OPERATING PROfIT 387.6 321.9 303.5 

Other operating income and expense (38.5) (73.8) (24.3) 

OPERATING PROfIT 349.0 248.1 279.2 

Finance costs (12.0) (22.6) (37.9) 

Other financial income and expense (3.9) (4.6) (10.7) 

Share of profits/(losses) of associates 0.0 0.0 (1.3) 

PROfIT BEfORE TAX 333.1 220.9 229.3 

Income tax expense (89.5) (58.1) (66.5) 

PROfIT fOR THE PERIOD 243.6 162.8 162.8 

Non-controlling interests (23.2) (16.8) (11.2) 

PROfIT ATTRIBUTABLE TO OWNERS Of THE PARENT 220.4 146.0 151.6 

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET 

ASSETS (in € millions) 2010 2009 2008 

NON-CURRENT ASSETS 1,289.7 1,201.0 1,232.0 

Inventories 635.5 466.3 614.6 

Trade receivables 733.9 627.1 645.6 

Other receivables 59.4 48.1 54.9 

Current tax assets 26.8 15.1 38.8 

Current derivative instruments - assets 14.1 5.2 11.7 

Cash and cash equivalents 236.6 307.8 224.6 

CURRENT ASSETS 1,706.3 1,469.6 1,590.1 

TOTAL ASSETS 2,996.0 2,670.6 2,822.1 

EQUITY AND LIABILITIES (in € millions) 2010 2009 2008 

Equity attributable to owners of the parent 1,398.2 1,081.3 905.9 

Non-controlling interests 173.1 138.8 131.6 

EQUITY 1,571.3 1,220.1 1,037.5 

Long-term borrowings 201.8 301.1 213.5 

Other non-current liabilities 198.9 193.0 233.5 

Non-current liabilities 400.7 494.1 447.0 

Trade payables 494.4 398.0 366.3 

Other current liabilities 359.5 311.7 309.8 

Short-term borrowings 170.1 246.7 661.5 

CURRENT LIABILITIES 1,024.0 956.4 1,337.6 

TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 2,996.0 2,670.6 2,822.1


14-15 

REVENUE BREAKDOWN 

CLIENTS: 

€3,651.8 M 

• Western Europe: 41% (of which France: 19%) 

• North America: 11% 

• South America: 9.5% 

• Asia-Pacic: 21% 

• Central Europe, CIS and other countries: 17.5% 

Sourced products represent almost 30% of sales 

SUPPLIERS: 

€2,501.4 M 

1,202 industrial suppliers*, including a panel 

of 375 suppliers representing more than 87% 

of these purchases 

STATE AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES: 

€140.9 M 

• Corporation tax: €89.5 M 

• Local taxes: €51.4 M 

SHAREHOLDERS: 

€55.9 M 

paid in 2010 in respect of the 2009 trading year 

RESERVED fUNDS: 

€289.8 M 

• Renancing of investments: €118.3 M 

• Variations of provisions linked to business risks: €-16.2 M 

• Transferred to reserves: €187.7 M 

EMPLOYEES: 

€647.8 M 

Paid to 23,058 employees 

• 74% total salary 

• 26% social charges 

• Bonus and prot sharing: 

€47.5 M to be paid in 2011 

(not including €1.3 M in taxes paid to the State) 

BANKS AND BONDHOLDERS:: 

€16.0 M 

Mainly nancial charges linked to interest 

on bank loans 

* Suppliers, Production and Sourced Products 

Data excluding Supor.


2010 

SEB SHARE 

OVERVIEW 

GROUPE SEB WINS SILVER MEDAL 

AT THE GRAND PRIX DES ACTIONS 2010 

Groupe SEB was once again named recipient of an award at 

the ‘Grand Prix des Actions’ organized by the magazine 

‘Mieux Vivre Votre Argent’ in partnership with Vigeo. 

It won the 2010 silver medal (having won the bronze medal 

in 2009) for its stockmarket performance, and for its social, 

corporate and environmental responsibility. 

BREAKDOWN Of CAPITAL AT 31.12.2010 

49,951,826 shares 

Treasury stock: 3.97% 

Individual shareholders: 5.72% 

FÉDÉRACTIVE* and associates: 23.68% 

Foreign investors: 21.28% 

French investors: 17.32% 

VENELLE INVESTISSEMENT** 

and associates: 20.00% 

FFP: 5.05% 

Employees: 2.98% 

BREAKDOWN Of VOTING RIGHTS AT 31.12.2010 

73,718,840 voting rights 

Individual shareholders: 5.04% 

Foreign investors: 14.54% 

FÉDÉRACTIVE* and associates: 30.74% 

French investors: 12.76% 

Employees: 3.80% 

FFP: 6.39% 

VENELLE INVESTISSEMENT** 

and associates: 26.73% 

* A shareholder investment company which holds mainly beneficial-owner shares, bare-owner shares being held mostly by Founder-group individuals. 

** A family shareholder company which holds mainly beneficial-owner shares, bare-owner shares being held by Founder-group individuals. 

SEB SHARE 

€ 

100 

80 

60 

40 

07/12/2010 

82.78 

Number of shares 

500,000 

400,000 

300,000 

200,000 

100,000 

20 

01/10 02/10 03/10 04/10 05/10 06/10 07/10 08/10 09/10 10/10 11/10 12/10 01/11 02/11 

0 

SEB 

CAC 40 (adjusted) 

Volumes


16-17 

P E R F O R M A N C E I N 2 0 1 0 

SEB 

+96% 

CAC 40 

- 5% 

Capital at 31.12.2010 

49,951,826 shares 

Stockmarket capitalization at 31.12.2010 

€3,883 million 

Price on 31 December 2010 €77.730 

Average closing price for 2010 €57.821 

Average of last 30 closing prices in 2010 €76.171 

Lowest price – 5 January 2010 €39.150 

Highest price – 7 December 2010 €82.780 

GROUPE SEB WINS BfM 

BUSINESS RADIO AWARD 

fOR BEST SHARE PERfORMANCE 

BFM Business Radio named Groupe SEB a prizewinner at its 6th 

Annual Awards ceremony in 2010. Trophies were presented 

at the Paris event in the presence of the French Minister for the 

Economy, Finance and Industry, Christine Lagarde, and almost 

1,000 financial and economic professionals working in France. 

In all, six business leaders were honoured for their company’s 

performance and strategy. Thierry de La 

Tour d'Artaise received the BFM Award for 

Best Stockmarket Performance, in recognition 

of the SEB share record in 2010. 

The SEB share put in an exceptional performance in 2010. Up 96% over the 

twelve-month period, it was one of the steepest-rising SBF 120 stocks – as well 

as a top performer over 3 and 5 years. The share repeatedly surpassed historic 

highs to reach a record €82.78 during trading on 7 December 2010. This 

remarkable record reflects the enduring commitment of institutional and private 

investors to Groupe SEB, and recognition of the relevance of our strategy based 

on innovation, powerful brands and international expansion – notably in emerging 

markets. Investor confidence was also encouraged by our sound financial 

fundamentals, and the publication of steadily rising sales and results throughout 

the year. After the announcement of our 2010 sales figures, the consensus 

view of 80% of financial analysts was to reiterate support for the SEB share, 

recommending its purchase to investors at a prospective average price of €88. 

GROSS ANNUAL RETURN ON 

AN INVESTMENT IN SEB SHARES (1) 

(based on the closing price of €77.730 at 31 December 2010) 

Duration of Closing Rate of 

investment price return 

Over 10 years €17.56 18.89 % 

Over 8 years €25.64 17.72 % 

Over 5 years €30.67 23.43 % 

Over 3 years €41.33 26.57 % 

Over 2 years €21.46 95.38 % 

Over 1 year €39.70 99.73 % 

(1) This assumes re-investment of the dividend and the dividend supplement (based on 

holding shares for two years), and takes account of the free 1-for-10 share allocation 

in 2004, and capitalized interest. 

SEB SHARE fACT SHEET 

Stockmarket 

Euronext Paris 

Compartment A 

Share code 

FR0000121709 

Date of introduction 27 May 1975 

Stockmarket indexes CAC Mid 60 – SBF 120 – CAC Mid & Small – 

CAC All-Tradable – CAC All-Share 

Other information IAS Index – Eligible for SRD 

Tickers 

Reuters : SEBF.PA 

Bloomberg : SK.FP 

DIVIDEND INCREASE Of 12.5% 

In € 

3.18 

2008 

0.94 

3.13 

1.04 

4.55 

2009 2010 

1.17 

Net dividend 

Net income per share


2010 

SOCIAL PERFORMANCE 

OVERVIEW 

for more information, please consult our website: www.groupeseb-devdurable.com 

GEOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN Of EMPLOYEES 

Asia-Pacific: 53% 

France: 25% 

South America: 10% 

Other Western European countries: 6% 

Central Europe, Russia and other countries: 3% 

North America: 3% 

(worldwide) 

At 31 December 2010, Groupe SEB numbered 23,058 employees, more than half of which based in Asia. 

PROPORTION Of fEMALE MANAGERS 

(%) 

4.9 

10.5 

5.3 

11.1 

5.7 

11.5 

In 2010, the number of female managers 

(excluding Supor) increased at almost twice the 

rate of male managers (+10.7% compared with 

5.9%). Today, women represent 33% of all the 

Group’s managers. 

2008 

2009 2010 

Male 

Female 

(worldwide, excluding Supor) 

ACCIDENT fREQUENCY RATE* 

ACCIDENT SEVERITY RATE** 

8.31 

8.46 

7.40 

0,42 

0,34 

0,34 

* Accident frequency rate: number 

of work accidents with absence, 

per million hours worked. 

** Accident severity rate: number 

of working days lost, 

per 1,000 hours worked. 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2008 

2009 

2010 



The number of work accidents dropped at most of the Group’s sites. 

The severity rate did not change. Including Supor in 2010, the frequency rate was 5.83, and the severity rate 0.19.


18-19 

TRAINING BUDGET 

As % of total payroll 

2.34 

1.85 

2.08 

The training budget increased from 1.85% of the 

total payroll in 2009 to 2.08% in 2010. 

Last year, more than 225,000 hours of training 

were provided for Groupe SEB employees. 

2008 

2009 

2010 


NUMBER Of COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS SIGNED IN 2010 

Asia-Pacific: 14 

South America: 6 

North America: 3 

Central Europe: 6 

France: 23 

Other Western European countries: 38 

(worldwide) 

In 2010, 90 collective agreements were signed with labour unions worldwide, of which 14 in the Asia-Pacific 

area, being an increase of 180% in this zone. The number of agreements signed in France dropped by almost 

half between 2009 and 2010, due to the signing of Group-wide agreements rather than agreements solely by 

individual entity. 

Social and environmental data relating to Supor are gradually taken into account as its different processes are integrated into the Group.


2010 

ENVIRONMENT 

OVERVIEW 

for more information, please consult our website: www.groupeseb-devdurable.com 

USE Of RESOURCES, BY fINISHED PRODUCT MANUfACTURED 

12.97 12.9 11.09 

1.86 1.87 1.76 

1.96 1.98 1.92 

2008 2009 2010 

Consumption of 

electricity – kWh 

Consumption 

of gas – kWh 

Consumption 

of water – Litres 

(worldwide, excluding Supor and All-Clad) 

Consumption of gas, water and electricity per finished product manufactured was down for all three resources. 

ATMOSPHERIC EMISSIONS 

(In equivalent tonnes of CO2) 

TRANSPORT CARBON fOOTPRINT 

(In equivalent tonnes of CO2) 

33,961 

30,320 

34,319 

400,000 

330,000 

305,000 

265,000 

210,000 

200,000 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2009 

2010 


Atmospheric emissions increased in absolute terms, but 

fell by finished product manufactured: 379.6 g. in 

2010 compared with 381.2 g. in 2009. 

Estimated minimum Estimated maximum Estimated average 

(worldwide) 

A second carbon footprint study was carried out in 2010 

using a more precise calculation method, and with 

larger scope. This new study estimated CO 2 emissions 

relating to the transport of products, raw materials 

and components in 2010, at an average total 

of 265,000 tonnes. Re-calculated emissions for 2009 

were estimated at 305,000 tonnes. 

Social and environmental data relating to Supor are gradually taken into account as its different processes are integrated into the Group.

TRANSfORMATION 


20-21 

IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT 


Direct raw materials for nished 

products manufactured 

Motors: 

Metals: 

Plastics: 

Packaging: 

Sub-assemblies 

and Other 

TOTAL : 

25,562 t 

59,820 t 

42,420 t 

26,000 t 

30,232 t 

184,034 t 

Finished products 

manufactured (excluding 

sourced products) 

183,264 t 

Special industrial 

waste (SIW) 

2,303 t 

Ordinary industrial 

waste (OIW) 

12,883 t 

Process sludge 

4,020 t 

> >>>>>>> 

Finished products and 

cookware more than 70% 

recyclable 

SIW 100% treated in compliance 

with current standards 

80.6% of OIW recycled 

for re-use 

(10,381 t) 

100 % disposed of in approved 

landfills 

Indirect raw materials for 

processes, buildings 

and employees 

Atmospheric emissions 

34,362.41 t 

Water to treatment 

stations 

1,002,135 t 

CO 2 : 34,319 t 

Nox & N2O : 43.1 t 

SOx : 0.31 t 

of which 464,055 t. treated in 

the Group's own wastewater treatment 

plants, and 538,080 t. 

in municipal treatment stations 

Gas: 

Fuel: 

Air: 

11,485 t 

44 t 

23,092 t 

Discharge into water 

0.45 t 

0.45 t. of authorized metal 

discharged with our treatmentstation 

water 

Water: 

Other: 

TOTAL: 

1,002,135 t 

18,178 t 

1,054,934 t 

Disposal in soil 

0 t 

Discharge into soil limited, thanks 

to our control of processes 

Total inow: 1,238,968 tonnes 

Total outow: 1,238,968 tonnes


2010 

O P E R A T I O N S 

IMAGINATION 

KNOWS NO fRONTIERS 

N E W - A G E C O N S U M E R S 

T O M O R R O W ’ S E V E R Y D A Y W O R L D 

A W O R L D W I T H O U T B O R D E R S 

24 26 

38


22-23


2010 

NEW-AGE 

CONSUMERS 

Globalized trade and the spread of the Internet have led to 

convergence of cultures, though not to any real uniformity. 

Local culinary habits persist, even alongside counter-current 

trends. 

A RADICALLY CHANGING WORLD 

Cultures around the world today are tending to cross-fertilize and 

influence each other. The opposing currents of an emerging 

global culture and continued attachment to tradition are giving 

rise to new consumer attitudes. In many developing countries, 

this is seen in the growth of a new middle class with a desire 

to ‘catch up’, side-by-side with a counter-current of resistance 

to hyper consumption. The Internet, a vehicle for all these 

trends, serves as a platform for exchange, which also results in a 

well-informed consumer. 

THE SOCIALLY CONCERNED SHOPPER 

Socially concerned shoppers are adopting a more responsible and 

rational approach to the act of buying, and tend to choose more 

durable, quality products. Aware of the need to reduce their 

ecological footprint, consumers now also take into account the 

power consumption and recyclability of products. Thus, the 

energy-efficiency classification labels familiar on white goods, will 

be extended to vacuum cleaners in the future. 

milk-based desserts, and even homemade ice cream. Fresh-food 

preparation is also part of this scenario, explaining the demand for 

food processors, liquidizers and slicer-graters, with the return to 

raw vegetables, soups and smoothies... Moreover, home cooking 

has its own prestige, and helps to pass on gastronomic heritage 

and family values. 

ETHNIC COOKING 

Through globalization, we are seeing the spread of Western eating 

habits around the world – often associated with famous chefs – 

while, on the other hand, people in the West are drawn to exotic 

dishes that offer them a new savoury experience. Take for instance 

the current sushi vogue in France, and the popularity of the French 

baguette in Tokyo. Rice, which is a staple food of truly global 

dimensions, is another example. While rice consumption is 

falling in its traditional Asian territories, it is on the rise in Western 

countries where demand has traditionally been low, but where 

ethnic food is now increasingly popular. Indeed, there are more 

than 40,000 varieties of rice worldwide, and almost as many 

modes of preparation, depending on the local culture. 

HUMAN ACTIVITIES 

WORLDWIDE 

PRODUCE ABOUT 10 MILLION 

TONNES Of WASTE DAILY 

NUTRITION: A SOCIAL ISSUE 

An increasing number of people, including young people, suffer 

from obesity. This worrying trend is taken very seriously by 

doctors, and is the subject of public-awareness campaigns, for 

example, to encourage the eating of fruit and vegetables. So, 

more consumers are aware of the need for a healthy and balanced 

diet, and this has stimulated interest in home cooking – which can 

mean light and tasty steam-cooked food, minimal use of oil, or 

plancha grilling, as well as making homemade bread, yogurt, 

ANNUAL RICE CONSUMPTION PER HEAD VARIES BETWEEN 10 KG 

IN EUROPE, AND OVER 100 KG IN CHINA


24-25 

T R E N D S 

MORE THAN 90% Of UNDER 30s 

IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES 

BELONG TO A SOCIAL NETWORK 

THE INfLUENCE Of SOCIAL NETWORKS 

Social networks, which cater for a need to meet other people on 

the Internet and belong to a community, are enjoying exponential 

growth. These networks are, for more and more consumers, 

a source of information to help them choose a product and 

compare notes on product use. People now expect brands to join 

in discussions on these networks. Indeed, brands tend to have 

their own ‘fans’ who are ready to speak well of them. This also 

brings a new dimension to advertising, which becomes a 

community affair, no longer just confined to the TV commercial. 

47% Of ADULTS IN fRANCE, 

AND 67% IN THE UNITED STATES 

ARE CONSIDERED 

OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE 

AN INfORMED DECISION TO BUY 

A visit to a point of sale does not always lead to a purchase. 

Today, it has become important to be closer to the customer. 

Promotional exercises, the availability and advice of sales staff, 

detailed product information, merchandising – or, better still, 

the actual experience of the product – all have a bearing on the 

decision to buy. Thus, in China, 6,000 demonstrators promote 

Supor products. Today’s dominant retail formats, such as food 

hypermarkets, are losing customers to local stores and websites. 

The attraction of the Internet is also the large extent of the offer, 

the chance to compare products and know what other users think, 

and even find the best price. 

IN fRANCE, MORE THAN 

27 MILLION PEOPLE BUY 

REGULARLY ON THE INTERNET


2010 

TOMORROW’S 

EVERYDAY WORLD 

“ 

Helping to invent lifestyles for tomorrow’s world: such is the 

challenge of our business, the ideal that spurs on our working 

teams as they study people’s expectations and innovate to offer 

them solutions tailored to their real needs and desires. 

Our customers are the focal point of the whole innovation 

process, just as innovation is at the heart of all our brands. 

Increasingly informed, consumers expect us to go beyond 

functional features and provide complete solutions. For them, 

technology is not an end in itself, but a means to guarantee 

quality results. Our response to this is to constantly improve 

product performance, connectivity, precision and user-friendliness, 

while we also strive to improve everything that contributes to a 

perfect result, even including ingredients and recipes. 

Although consumers change quickly, and certain aspects of their 

behaviour have become universal, they remain strongly attached 

to their own culture and eating habits. There are no really allembracing 

universal offers in small domestic equipment. While 

our products do share common functions and integrate shared 

technologies, they are essentially designed and developed in 

response to the specific local needs of our markets. 

In the last analysis, faced with tough competition in a fastchanging 

business environment, we have to be highly responsive 

and competitive. 

” 

We have every advantage to help us attain our objectives: an 

extensive product offer, strong market positions, creative drive 

fuelling innovation, and a unique set of powerful brands. Our 

ability to deploy the combined skills of our working teams helps 

us maximize our potential to serve and satisfy consumer needs 

around the world. 

“INNOVATION IS 

AT THE HEART 

Of ALL OUR BRANDS” 

Bertrand Neuschwander, 

Executive Vice-President, Strategic Business Areas


26-27 

B R A N D S , P R O D U C T S , I N N O V AT I O N 

Fresh Express. A compact, 

easy-to-use grater-slicer 

that serves directly onto the plate. 

“MAXIMIZING 

OUR POTENTIAL” 

Air Force. A cordless 

upright vacuum cleaner 

with 40-minute autonomy. 

Nutricook. Steam cooking which preserves 

nutrients with an internal air-vent system, 

4 cooking programmes – for vegetables, fish, 

starchy foods and meat – and a final light steam 

cooking phase.


2010 

CAPITALIZING 

ON OUR 

BRANDS 

The broad coverage of our brand portfolio gives 

us the ability to respond to the multiple demands 

of consumers and adapt to new modes of consumer 

behaviour. In markets where the offer tends to 

be commonplace, prestigious brands reassure 

consumers. 

INTERNATIONAL BRANDS 

Each brand has a clear identity, expressed in a set of values. The Group offers its 

consumers six brand worlds, aimed at global or multi-regional markets, each with 

a distinctive, complementary approach. This allows us to pursue a product 

development and distribution strategy which targets market segments, while 

maintaining overall coherence in promotion and design. 

LOCAL BRANDS 

These brands are very well known and enjoy a strong image in their respective 

regions. Omnipresent in the countries where they are sold, some are leaders in 

their local markets or in product segments. Most of them also dovetail into our 

global brand platforms. 

France - Belgium 

North America 

South America 

Asia 

Due to its special nature and the vast extent of the Chinese and Southeast Asian markets, the Supor 

brand has its own platform. Strongly associated with a better quality of life and caring for one’s 

family, this brand evokes widely-appreciated values: trustworthiness and ingenuity in the service of 

better living. 

TOP-END/PREMIUM 

4 th quartile+ 

3 rd quartile 

2 nd quartile 

1 st quartile 

ENTRY LEVEL


28-29 

20 EMBLEMATIC 

BRANDS 


AN OUTSTANDING PORTfOLIO 

Krups: precision, 

perfection, passion. 

Lagostina: Italian, 

elegant performance, 

enriching. 

All-Clad: 

professional, 

authentic, prestigious. 

Moulinex: easy, 

energetic, intuitive. 

Tefal: ingenious, 

generous, inspiring. 

Rowenta: demanding, intelligent, harmonious.


2010 

A STRUCTURED OFFER 

TO ATTRACT EVERYONE 

The stronghold positions built up by Groupe SEB 

around the world are thanks to its vast and 

comprehensive product offer, aimed at every sphere 

of home life and all segments of the market. 

PRECISE SEGMENT TARGETING 

Our outstanding brand portfolio is the backbone of our product 

offer. Thanks to its very broad scope, we can finely segment 

markets and offer adapted and complementary responses to 

the needs of retailers. The Group works to extend its product 

coverage over the entire market spectrum, from entry-level to 

premium ranges, with tactical entry-level offers, constantly 

updated mid-range assortments, and the highest standards of 

technical performance, quality and service for the more selective 

premium segment. 

much of it dominated by retailer brands, Tefal reasserts its 

presence with a competitive offer in nonstick enamel of 

guaranteed quality. Tefal is also a benchmark brand in middle 

ranges which it constantly updates to offer our customers lasting 

performance and greater user comfort with products made from 

enamelled aluminium, stainless steel or cast aluminium, or with 

an induction-cooking base. Further up-scale, Lagostina offers 

well-designed, elegant assortments that reflect the high standards 

of Italian cooking. In premium ranges, All-Clad, with its unique 

multi-layer utensils, brings the guarantee of truly professional 

quality to kitchen equipment. 

Beyond this international focus, ranges are also aimed to cater for 

the needs of local markets: different lid-closing technologies 

for pressure cookers (insert, bayonet or clamp systems), special 

equipment such as woks and rice cookers in China, square pans 

in Japan, the pastaiola or the risottiera in Italy... 

KITCHEN ELECTRICS: IN LINE WITH TRENDS 

kitchen electrics is an area of Groupe SEB business which is very 

much abreast of trends, such as today’s keen interest in home 

cooking, or concern for healthy eating. 

1.5 BILLION CUPS 

Of COffEE CONSUMED 

DAILY AROUND 

THE WORLD 

COOKWARE: A MULTIPLE OffER 

Cookware items – frying pans, saucepans, deep fryers, casseroles, 

pressure cookers – are a striking proof of the Group’s ability to 

deploy a whole array of materials, shapes, utensils and technologies 

at every segment level, and across all markets. At entry level, 

In food preparation, Moulinex has long-standing expertise. With 

its Red Ruby range – catching on fast in international markets – it 

offers an incomparable selection of easy-to-use everyday 

appliances: handheld blenders, grater-slicers, shredders, food 

processors, and so on. In beverage preparation, krups and Tefal 

are the main flag carriers for products such as coffee makers, 

multi-beverage pod machines and electric kettles. In addition 

to these ranges, Rowenta offers a choice of elegant breakfast sets. 

In cooking appliances, another product world served by Seb and 

Tefal, product offers range from fryers – deep-fryers or minimal oil 

– to steam cookers, table-top 

ovens, barbecues, plancha 

grills, waffle makers or yogurt 

makers, and include local 

products such as rice cookers, 

electric pressure cookers, or


30-31 


RICE IS ONE Of THE WORLD’S 

MOST POPULAR STAPLE fOODS: 

57.3 KG. PER PERSON, PER YEAR. 

soya milk extractors, which are specialty products 

of Supor in China. The Group has also developed a low-price 

Moulinex offer designed for basic functions. 

(more power and silence) have won many fans over the last three 

years in this very competitive market. 

In Personal Care, technical advances integrate current trends to 

offer consumers real solutions, such as bathroom scales that track 

weight and body mass, or hair-care appliances with heat control 

and ceramic-coated plates to protect the hair. 

HOME AND PERSONAL CARE: A DIffERENTIATED OffER 

The advanced technology used in our products is a prime reason 

for the Group’s success in this segment. In laundry care, from 

irons to steam systems, speed and efficiency are decisive. Higher 

ranges offer more sophisticated functions, with some features 

specific to the Rowenta or Tefal brands (precision-point ironing, 

microsteam or self-cleaning soleplate, anti-scaling system, etc). 

Rowenta’s vacuum cleaner ranges (bag, bagless or cordless), 

with high-tech features focused on performance and user comfort 

WORLD N° 1 IN STEAM 

IRONING SYSTEMS 

SD 

SPOTLIGHT 

r 

NATURA: MADE fROM 100% RECYCLED fOOD-SAfE 

ALUMINIUM 

Caroline Pinat, International Product Manager, Cookware 

“Tefal’s Natura range was inspired by the wish to create a collection of cookware (pressure cookers, casseroles, woks, frying pans) in cast aluminium 

which would be environment-friendly. Hence, the idea of using 100% recycled aluminium which also complies with food-safety standards. Groupe SEB 

is the first to offer such a solution in France. Other eco-friendly components in this range include handles made from recycled natural fibres, and packaging 

and instruction leaflets that use recycled paper or cardboard and plant-based inks. The Natura range, launched in France in 2010, is now being 

extended to other countries. Retailers have given the range a warm welcome, and several now include it in their permanent stock catalogue.”


2010 

REINVENTING 

SPECIAL MOMENTS 

The Group’s chosen mission is to satisfy the multiple 

aspirations of consumers around the world by offering 

them innovative solutions that ease everyday tasks 

and improve the quality of life. 

‘HOMEMADE’, A SYNONYM fOR PLEASURE AND HEALTH 

The growing popularity of ‘homemade’ food reflects different 

consumer desires: the pleasure of cooking, healthy diet and 

sociable meals. Echoing this trend, the Group has designed 

products ranging from the plancha grill to the slow cooker, which 

mark a return to traditional ways of getting meals ready, without 

the need to stand over a stove. Food-preparation appliances such 

as the Fresh Express grater-slicer for fresh vegetables, and automatic 

dough mixers for home pastry-making cater for the same 

demand. For dairy products, also very much in vogue, we have 

developed the Multi Délice – the first appliance to use steam to 

make yogurt, cottage cheese or milk-based desserts. Meanwhile, 

the Nutritious & Delicious range is revolutionizing kitchens with 

new and different approaches to light and tasty cooking, with: 

the Actifry, a minimal-oil fryer; 

two types of steam-cooker, the VitaCuisine for 

simultaneous cooking of a full meal, and the Nutricook 

which preserves the nutritional qualities of food. 

The minimal oil fryer, Actifry. The most recent 

models include a USB key that connects the fryer in 

just a click to the Nutritious & Delicious blog website, 

which offers recipes and advice from nutritionists and 

chefs. 

UNIQUE CONCEPTS fOR NEW LIfESTYLES 

In step with the faster pace of modern lifestyles, Groupe SEB 

facilitates change by simplifying, saving time and enhancing the 

quality of daily life. In food preparation, modernity is the keynote 

of Moulinex ranges: click-on accessories for the Click & Mix hand 

mixer, handpress lid-locking for the MasterChef 3000 food 

processor, or direct service onto the plate for the Fresh Express 

grater-slicer. Other ranges show the same approach with, for 

example, removable handles for frying pans and saucepans, or 

the always ready-to-hand cordless Air Force vacuum cleaner. There 

is also a growing demand for professional-quality products in the 

home. krups, as a specialist in coffee makers, meets this demand 

with an assortment of machines adapted to every taste – ranging 

from the multi-beverage Dolce Gusto, to the Nespresso, or fully 

automatic espresso coffee makers. 

HIGHLIGHT 

! 

COOKERY CLASSES AND TRANSMISSION Of SKILLS 

The Group underlines its commitment to the subject of nutrition by paying special attention to young people. Present at France’s ‘Kidexpo 2010’ 

(Porte de Versailles, Paris), we provided classes for young people to teach them how to select wholesome ingredients and cook them properly. We also 

continued our partner participation in ‘La Semaine du Goût’ , a week-long education and awareness campaign covering 4,500 French schools, 

15 universities, and 1,300 local authority workshops. In the United States, T-fal and All-Clad backed the ‘Chefs move to schools’ programme 

initiated by Michelle Obama to combat child obesity. Chefs share their experience with school personnel and parents, making them aware of the 

importance of a well-balanced diet. The Group supplied them with cooking equipment.


32-33 


RECORD ANNUAL CONSUMPTION 

Of YOGURT IN WESTERN EUROPE: 

22.8 KG. PER PERSON. 

In the same spirit, Lagostina has brought out a premium 

assortment, Linea Patrimonio, specially designed for cooking 

Italian dishes such as risotto and osso buco. 

Finally, satisfying the demands of the more concerned shopper 

means offering energy-efficient products such as the Acticook 

pressure cooker, or the Eco-intelligence vacuum cleaner (about 

30% less energy used) – products that respect the environment, 

and even use recycled materials (Enjoy spatulas, or the Natura 

cookware range). 

SD 

SPOTLIGHT 

rSTEAM IRONING SYSTEMS 

USING LESS ENERGY 

Jacqueline foucard, International Product 

Manager, Linen Care 

“Studies carried out in 2010 found that energy-saving is 

an important criterion of choice for today’s consumers 

when they buy a steam ironing system. This is an area in 

which Groupe SEB makes regular progress: by the end of 

2011, Rowenta’s Eco-Intelligence range will see the 

launch of a steam system that uses 30% less energy for equal performance. 

The energy saving is made possible by a new soleplate design which 

concentrates more of the steam onto the fabric being ironed, so avoiding 

steam wastage. We are also working to increase the product recyclability rate 

by looking at alternatives to materials such as thermo-hard plastics used for 

iron rests and heat shields, which cannot be recycled.” 

HIGH PERfORMANCE fOR GREATER USER COMfORT 

This is why product efficiency is one of our top priorities, and why 

the Group’s new inventions are to be found in all our product 

areas. In cookware, the latest techniques in surface coating, utensil 

bases and detachable accessories (Ingenio removable handles, 

for instance) bring real benefits to customers and boost our sales. 

All-Clad’s expertise in lamination technology produced a series of 

multi-layer utensils (5 layers of stainless steel, aluminium, or 

copper) of truly outstanding quality, and now including its new 

D5 collection of induction cookware. In home care, our irons, 

steam systems and vacuum cleaners use high-tech solutions to 

optimize working speed and quality results: for irons, a selfcleaning 

soleplate, touch-button Turbo steam, or built-in antiscaling 

systems; for vacuum cleaners, more power for less noise, 

bagless cleaners with cyclonic technology, and so on. Ergonomic 

design is another priority: a silicone grip surface for the handling 

parts of several products, telescopic handles and wheels for the 

Liberty Pressing steam system to make it easy to move around. 

Insensium Resistal and Integral cookware 

ranges. An ultra-resistant surface coating and 

reinforced cooking base, thanks to anti-distortion 

stamping technology which integrates a layer of 

copper for more efficient heat conduction.


2010 

INVESTING EFFORT 

IN INNOVATION 

The true raison d’être of any technical invention is when 

it is placed at the service of the consumer. In this way, 

it becomes a real-life solution for the user, and serves 

as a powerful growth lever for the Group. 

THE LIfE-BREATH Of INNOVATION 

The Group uses a two-fold strategy to ensure its technological 

leadership. On the one hand, it plans ahead, building up 

broad-based core technologies and adopting new thematic 

domains well upstream (health & fitness, ageing, man-machine 

interfaces, or applications of digital technology, for example). 

On the other hand, it defines strategic research priorities and 

develops technical applications for use in products. The ultimate 

goal of this approach is to produce breakthrough innovations that 

involve specific technological expertise. Some examples: 

our advances in surface coating technologies, applied 

to cookware (ultra-resistant, nonstick coating), or to 

ironing (the use of palladium catalysis to make soleplates 

self-cleaning); 

OVER 200 

NEW PRODUCTS 

AND MODELS 

EACH YEAR 

We are also seeking to shorten the time it takes to launch a new 

product by building up pooled and cross-referenced technical data 

bases, while, at the same time, maintaining separate product 

development models according to the degree of complexity (rapid 

market launch for tactical products, and longer cycles for more 

advanced functions). 

our expertise in cooking methods (frying, steaming, 

stewing, etc.), and in the preparation of foods such as 

rice, meat or yogurt; 

our know-how in acoustics (a significant reduction of 

noise levels for vacuum cleaners and fans); 

our command of suction power technologies (a 

two-stage cyclonic vacuum system with double filtering for 

more efficient operation, to cut energy consumption); 

our experience in eco-design, especially to improve 

the recyclability of products. 

1,000 ACTIVE PATENTS 

HIGHLIGHT 

! 

AWARDS fOR THE GROUP’S INVENTIVE TALENT 

Top of the charts in 2010, the Group carried off two prestigious awards for its innovative energy: 

· The ‘Best Innovator’ jury prize awarded by AT Kearney in partnership with the financial newspaper ‘Les Echos’. This award 

was given to salute the innovative dynamism behind our regular product offer renewal in a highly competitive market, and our 

open collaboration with research laboratories and other industry operators. 

· The ‘Prix Hermès de l’Innovation’, won at the 3rd ‘Rencontre Nationale des Directeurs de l’Innovation’, on the theme 

‘The challenge of design’, singled out Groupe SEB for its ability to transform its high-tech advances into real consumer benefits 

– a finely-tuned synthesis of the Group’s know-how and the aspirations of individuals.


34-35 

THERMO-SPOT: 10 

years ALREADY 


AN INNOVATION COMMUNITY 

Effective coordination of all the Group’s talents, whether 

technical, marketing or creative, is the secret of successful 

innovation. Groupe SEB strives to cultivate a real community of 

innovation, which involves intensive contact between R&D, 

marketing and design, as well as sharing the results of projects, 

and building bridges between different product domains. It also 

means working with outside partners such as laboratories, 

competitive clusters like Vitagora in Burgundy, start-ups, universities, 

health professionals, major agro-food and other mass 

market industrial groups. It was from this perspective that the 

Group’s Annual Innovation Days event, held for the second year 

running in 2010, brought together this community of experts to 

provide extra impetus for its innovation dynamic. 

€73 MILLION INVESTED 

IN R&D IN 2010 

HIGHLY PROTECTED INVENTIONS 

There is no good invention without proper protection. Our 

Industrial Patents department which supports the work of the 

Group’s R&D department, intervenes increasingly up-stream to 

protect our new ideas and enable exploration of little-known areas. 

Primarily concerned with protection, it saw a busy year in 2010 

with the filing of 110 new patents, and 273 so-called Soleau 

preliminary patent registrations. At the exploratory stage, it charts 

all current research by reviewing new inventions in basic technologies 

and their applications. The department also has a more 

assertive role which involves virtually barricading our inventions 

to protect them from being copied or forged. Last year was also a 

very busy year in this area, especially for patents covering the 

Actifry, which is much envied around the world. 

AN INNOVATION 

COMMUNITY 

Of 750 PEOPLE 

SD 

SPOTLIGHT 

rINNOVATION AND 

SUSTAINABLE 

DEVELOPMENT 

Jean-Christophe Simon, 

President, Innovation 

“Respect for the environment, consumer 

health and making our products accessible to 

the handicapped are an important feature 

of our R&D work. This leads the Group's innovation 

teams to explore new avenues, and take 

up technological challenges in the use of materials, energy 

consumption and ergonomics. Our innovation dynamic gains 

momentum from a very active flow of exchange between 

marketing, R&D and design teams. It is also 

spurred by collaboration with outside experts. 

An example is the Group’s partnership with 

management, engineering and design schools to 

further our understanding of handicap in the area 

of cooking, and take this into account.”


2010 

PROXIMITY AND 

STRONG APPEAL 

Groupe SEB wants to be closer to its customers 

by increasing its presence in all media channels, 

where it can help people in their decisions to buy, 

while the Group expands its consumer audience. 

The Internet is new territory in which the Group has begun to 

develop blog sites linked to social networks. For example, at 

the end of June 2010, krups launched its community portal 

www.tendencesculinaires.com, which posts recipes, discusses 

culinary topics and shows off krup’s products. 

fUNCTIONAL DESIGN 

BLANKET MEDIA COVERAGE 

The revival of markets in 2010 prompted the Group to reinvest 

heavily in media advertising and other targeted promotional efforts 

to restore dynamic sales momentum. We increased our spending 

on advertising space by 50% – with TV spots still accounting for 

80% of this budget – and continued to develop promotion on the 

Internet. Parallel public relations exercises also increased: 

Creative design is about concepts that involve more than just style. 

As form is determined by function, Groupe SEB’s approach to 

design is rooted in product functionality and user comfort. In this 

way, design reflects distinctive functional features, clearly evoked 

by the product’s appearance. Indeed, design is intrinsic to our 

multi-brand strategy, as it conveys the values identified with each 

brand, and so determines how each product world is perceived. 

The Group’s 14-strong in-house design team also draws on outside 

expertise and works closely with professional designers selected 

for their individual approach. 

participation in the Global Food Marketplace (SIAL) 

trade show in France, with demonstrations of the 

Nutritious & Delicious range; 

All-Clad’s sponsorship of the Bocuse d’Or international 

cuisine contest; 

Rowenta’s presentation of steam irons at the IMG 

Fashion Week in the United States, where it was an IMG 

sponsoring partner; 

new applications to promote the Group’s presence on 

the Internet. 

All-Clad celebrates its 40th anniversary with 

the world’s top chefs at James Beard House, 

New York’s prestigious gastronomic showcase. 

To mark the occasion: a limited-edition Anniversary 

Collection of All-Clad products. 

ELITE, AN INTERNATIONAL PARTNER: 

OVER 12 MILLION ARTICLES SOLD IN 5 YEARS, 

IN 25 COUNTRIES, WITH A RANGE 

NOW COVERING 35 PRODUCTS


36-37 


DOLCE GUSTO: 5 MILLION UNITS 

SOLD IN 4 YEARS, IN 30 COUNTRIES, 

WITH 25 MODELS 

HELPING CUSTOMERS TO DECIDE 

Getting closer to our customers calls for point-of-sale communication 

with the use of videos, promotional areas and product 

demonstrations. However, beyond visual merchandising and 

promotional tools, direct customer care by sales personnel is a 

prime factor in the decision to buy. To better manage this aspect 

of customer relations, we have set up a School of Sales and 

Marketing within the Groupe SEB Academy, which teaches both 

practical and customer-relations skills. As the sales advisor is a 

vital asset for the retailer, Groupe SEB France has for several years 

run an Expert Training course specially for client retailer sales staff. 

The module, which is geared to increasing retail sales, covers 

knowledge of the industry, as well as familiarity with product 

features and how these benefit the customer. 

for the brand, while it also sponsors partnerships with famous 

institutions such as Relais et Châteaux and the Institut Bocuse, 

prestigious names in this domain in France. Finally, the Group is 

involved in joint development and marketing exercises with wellknown 

food professionals such as Frédéric Lalos, ‘Baker of the 

Year 2010’ title-holder, and the American dietician Ellie krieger. 

PRESTIGIOUS PARTNERS AND EXPERTS 

Marketing partnerships, which for Groupe SEB are important 

levers of growth, are on the increase and now represent 10% of 

our sales. To supplement our in-house expertise, we collaborate 

with major agro-food specialists such as Nestlé in the pod coffee 

sector (Nespresso and Dolce Gusto machines), and Heineken for 

beer. The Group also has the endorsement of high-profile media 

chefs like Jamie Oliver who promotes imaginative cooking, or the 

American celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, a TV cookery show host 

and champion of good taste. Another feature of our partnership 

work involves licence agreements with prominent brands such as 

Walt Disney (which the Group uses for a range of childcare 

products, and for Tefal and Supor pans), and the Elite or Weightwatchers 

labels (used respectively for hair-care products and 

bathroom scales). These famous names give extra visibility to our 

offer and enhance our public image. Meanwhile, All-Clad is firmly 

established in the kitchens of top chefs, who serve as ambassadors 

Lagostina has created l’Academia del Sapore (the 

Academy of Taste), donating premium range 

equipment to a network of cookery schools throughout 

Italy, and organizing special theme nights. 

HIGHLIGHT 

! 

A fIRST: SMART PACKAGING 

The Seb brand has created for its Actifry the first-ever packaging to interact with a smartphone 

in the French market. By scanning a barcode on the package with a mobile phone, the user can 

access a special website which offers product information, recipes, and even a shopping list of 

the ingredients. This new initiative in consumer relations has been well received, and is now 

being extended to other countries.


2010 

A WORLD 

WITHOUT 

BORDERS 

N°1WORLDWIDE 

COOKWARE - PRESSURE COOKERS - IRONS AND 

STEAM SYSTEMS - ELECTRIC KETTLES - 

STEAM COOKERS - TOASTERS - ELECTRIC fRYERS - 

BREADMAKERS - INfORMAL MEAL EQUIPMENT - 

fOOD PREPARATION EQUIPMENT - 

BATHROOM SCALES 

“ 

From its solid base in France, Groupe SEB has set its sights on 

international markets for more than 40 years, pursuing a longterm 

strategy of organic growth combined with acquisitions. 

This strategy has given it a truly global profile today, with a 

well-balanced geographic spread of sales. 

Recent years have seen profound change in the international 

scene. Our business environment is in constant flux, with, on the 

one hand, well-developed mature markets which remain an 

economic yardstick and still account for the bulk of our sales, and, 

on the other hand, new emerging markets which are now 

veritable growth drivers for the global economy. 

60 MARKETING 

COMPANIES 

In these circumstances, the Group is pragmatic, adopting both 

a global and locally-focused approach to the world. This strategy 

allows us to aim for, or strengthen, leading positions in every 

market where we operate. 

To do this, we can rely on an outstanding brand portfolio, on 

the industry’s most extensive product offer, on our constant 

innovation, and on a dynamic sales strategy adapted 

to each market. Our marketing teams 

and local sales forces, familiar with their 

territories, ensure coherent deployment 

of our product offer and ongoing 

constructive dialogue with our retail 

clients. 

Today, these combined strengths serve 

to accelerate the global growth and 

consolidation of our Group. 

” 

Frédéric Verwaerde, 

Senior Executive Vice-President, 

Continental Structures


38-39 

PRESENT IN 

ALMOST 150 COUNTRIES 

I N T E R N AT I O N A L 

B R E A K D O W N O F 2 0 1 0 S A L E S : 

Central Europe, Russia and other territories 

(Turkey, Middle East, Africa...): 18% 

Asia-Pacific: 21% 


France: 19% 

Other Western Europe countries: 22% 


MARKETING COMPANIES AGENTS/DISTRIBUTORS/OTHER COMMERCIAL PARTNERS INDUSTRIAL SITES 

Is/Tille 

Lourdes 

Mayenne 

Pont-Evêque 

St Jean de Bournay 

Sao Paolo - Mooca 

Binh Duong 

Erbach 

Omegna 

Cajica Canonsburg St Petersburg 

Rumilly 

Sao Bernardo Do Campo 

Province 

Tournus 

Recife 

Selongey 

France Germany 

Italy 

Brazil Colombia United States Vietnam 

Russia 

St Lô 

Vernon 

China 

Shanghai 

Yuhuan 

Wuhan 

Hangzhou 

Shaoxing


2010 

SETTING 

TRENDS 

In mature markets with a high level of existing home 

equipment, rival offers are standardized and competition 

is rife. In this context, Groupe SEB stands out for its 

innovative solutions and differentiated approach. 

Although industrialized countries were badly affected over the last 

three years by a serious economic crisis, consumer demand held up 

well, notably in small domestic equipment. 

With 4% growth in sales, Groupe SEB generally out-performed the 

market in developed countries. While this was indeed helped by 

continued robust trading in small domestic equipment and 

cookware, the Group also took advantage of public receptiveness 

to innovation and new consumer trends. 

B R E A K D O W N O F 2 0 1 0 S A L E S 

Mature markets: 56% 

INNOVATION, A DRIVER Of GROWTH 

In countries with high existing levels of equipment, the Group 

stimulates demand for replacement products. This gives it the 

opportunity to entice people to buy higher added-value products 

that offer extra user benefits. Popular themes for spurring new 

sales include time-saving, preserving the nutritive value and 

tastiness of food, ergonomics and attractive design. A good 

example in the European linen-care sector was the Group’s role in 

leading a shift from irons to steam systems, which are faster and 

more efficient. This trend gathered pace in 2010, notably in 

France, thanks to the ingenuity of the Anti-Calc scale protection 

system, which also improved the Group’s product mix and 

achieved market share gains. 

Emerging markets: 44% 

HIGHLIGHT 

! 

PRODUCTS HAILED fOR PERfORMANCE AND QUALITY 

Comparison tests by consumer magazines are a strong recommendation for our products. Numerous models were acclaimed in this way during 2010. 

Calor and Rowenta steam systems came out top in trials by Belgium’s ‘Test Achats’ and France’s ‘60 millions de consommateurs’. Britain’s ‘Which? 

Magazine’ awarded its Best Buy distinction to a Tefal iron, and to the Jamie Oliver blender. Ingenio frying pans (non-PFOA) scored 19/20 in tests by 

France’s ‘60 millions de consommateurs’. Nutricook was hailed in Germany by ‘Test Magazin’, while a T-Fal pan was “highly recommended” by the 

American magazine, ‘Cook’s Illustrated’. These distinctions offer a springboard for our sales.


40-41 

I N T E R N AT I O N A L / M AT U R E M A R K E T S 

A promotional event in Seoul 

for Tefal’s mini blender. 

The Group’s dynamism also lies in its ability to deliver breakthrough 

innovations that stand out from rival offers and create 

added value. With products like the Actifry minimal-oil fryer, the 

Air Force cordless and bagless vacuum cleaner, and the Fresh 

Express grater-chopper, the Group changed ways of doing things, 

which helped it to conquer market leader positions in many 

European countries. 

‘Product of the Year’ awards 

in Spain for the Actifry family, 

Silence Force and Double Liss. 

BREAKING NEW GROUND 

The Group continues to expand its business and strengthen 

market positions in countries where it is not yet strongly 

established. In Canada, for example, it has increased its presence 

by launching hair-care products through a network of hair salons, 

before releasing them onto the open market. In South korea, 

having established its dominance in nonstick cookware, steam 

irons and kettles, the Group has now introduced two more relays 

for growth: beauty products and food preparation, which are 

already doing very well. 

New profitable trends which began in mature 

markets, have been gathering pace around the 

world: home cooking, informal meals, a return to 

tradition, multi-beverage choice, breadmakers, 

water treatment... 

SD 

SPOTLIGHT 

r 

NUTRITIOUS & DELICIOUS: HEALTH & PLEASURE COMBINED 

Valérie Vuillemot, Strategic Marketing Manager, Nutrition and Cooking 

“All the products in the Nutritious & Delicious line (Actifry, Vitacuisine steam cooker, Nutricook pressure cooker, 

etc.), have the same aim: to meet desires for healthy eating without having to give up the pleasure of tasty food, 

and without getting involved in complicated cooking. All this, plus the use of eco-designed utensils made 

specially for cooking wholesome local produce. Today, we continue to explore new avenues with experts in nutrition, particularly around the concept 

of the Actifry. In the United States, for example, we collaborate with dietary centres, while in Canada we work in partnership with the Canadian 

Diabetes Association. As a result, we have developed specific recipes for people with diabetes, and take part in cookery classes at some thirty clinics”.


2010 

ARMED WITH 

THE TOOLS TO SUCCEED 

The Group’s expansion depends on coherent deployment of 

its brand strategy, product offer and distribution policy. 

Staged demonstration of the 

product offer at Carrefour Planet. 

Retailing is a key link between our customers and our products. 

The Group's success thus relies on its ability to work through a 

far-reaching network of distributors and build relationships of trust 

and dialogue with its retail clients over the long term. 

DISTRIBUTORS, PARTNERS Of CHOICE 

Retail formats vary between countries and market segments. 

High-end boutiques, department stores, hypermarkets, convenience 

stores, discount chains or specialist retailers, whether they 

be in Latin countries, English-speaking markets or Asia...all have 

their own approach to the customer. Groupe SEB must understand 

these different approaches and take them into account in 

order to propose a coherent product offer, and even specially 

adapted ranges. This is particularly true of mature markets where 

supply is abundant and seasoned shoppers are more demanding. 

The Group works closely with its retail clients in different ways. 

In the United States, for example, All-Clad decided in early 2010 

to work exclusively with premium-quality retailer Williams-Sonoma 

to launch its new D5 cookware collection. This fruitful partnership 

directly impacted Group sales in this market. Another success, this 

time in Canada, was our collaboration with The Hudson Bay 

Company to launch the Actifry. Similarly, 

in France, the Group continued its special 

relationship with the Darty retail chain, with 

joint development of a cookware sales area. 

OUR OWN RETAIL STORES, AN ADDITIONAL ASSET 

In mature markets, in addition to using the industry’s regular retail 

distribution channels, the Group runs its own stores directly or with 

partners under the Home and Cook banner. In Europe, these 

outlets help to optimize inventories by clearing seconds and 

discontinued lines. In other countries such as Japan, they help to 

promote our brands and products directly to shoppers, thus giving 

an extra boost to sales. 

Different retail formats respond to different needs and circumstances. 

These range from direct factory-to-customer outlets 

located near our production plants, to brand stock-clearance stores 

in shopping villages, Group brand boutiques in city centres or 

shopping malls, or exclusive up-market formats. 

Groupe SEB wins the Euronics 

International Supplier of the Year 

Award in the small electrical 

appliances category.


42-43 

I N T E R N AT I O N A L / M AT U R E M A R K E T S 

MERCHANDISING THAT TRIGGERS 

THE DECISION TO BUY 

Eugène de Parscau, Merchandising Manager 

“Beyond innovation and advertising, it is vital to consider every other aspect 

of the marketing of a product. Once inside a store, shoppers are faced with 

a large choice of products that rival for their attention. We must help them 

to choose and, by triggering their decision to buy, convert the shopper into 

a Groupe SEB customer. We can employ a whole range of techniques and 

resources to influence the buying decision: shelf display layout, product staging, 

point-of-sale advertising, aisle-end presentation, promotional tools ... 

These are the basics of merchandising. My role as merchandising 

manager is to get across this message and support 

our marketing teams and strategic sales forces in raising the 

profile of our products and brands.” 

The Group supplements these retail circuits with its development 

of well-targeted online shopping websites. This new and fastgrowing 

sales channel is often a way for customers to buy models 

that are not easy to find in regular stores. For example, the Group 

has launched a British website that offers All-Clad products online, 

and a French website that sells accessories. 

MORE THAN 1,150 STORES 

AROUND THE WORLD. 

89 IN MATURE MARKETS 

HIGHLIGHT 

! 

MOULINEX REDEPLOYED IN 9 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES 

Following the partial takeover of Moulinex in 2002, the European Commission required Groupe SEB to allow third parties to use the Moulinex brand 

in nine European countries for five years, followed by a transitional phase of three years. This restriction on the use of the brand was lifted on 1 January 

2011, so that Moulinex has since made a comeback in Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Belgium and 

Greece. The Group is now engaged in the re-conquest of these markets. This fresh launch of the brand will be helped by a specially revamped product 

offer, a major advertising and marketing drive, and mobilization of all the Group’s European sales teams to make 2011 a real ‘Moulinex Year’.


2010 

GROWING 

IN fERTILE MARKETS 

Emerging countries, which are prime markets for new home equipment, 

are the Group’s growth drivers for the future. Urbanization, a rising 

middle class, greater purchasing power and the spread of the retail 

industry all point to rapid development. 

Most emerging markets affected by the economic crisis have made 

a quick recovery and are now returning to growth. Already well 

established in these markets, Groupe SEB was able to benefit from 

this revived demand, with an increase of 18% in sales in 2010. 

ADVANCING WITH EMERGING MARKETS 

The rapid economic development of these countries represents a 

real source of motive power for the Group’s organic growth. 

In Brazil, the emergence of a new middle class eager to buy 

products offers the Group a big opportunity. Present in the 

Nordeste region of this fast-developing country, with a factory 

based at Recife and well-known local brands – Arno in small 

electrical appliances, Rochedo, Clock and Penedo in cookware – 

Groupe SEB is well positioned to respond to the demands of this 

new consumer audience with an adapted and targeted offer. 

A fAST-GROWING 

MIDDLE CLASS IN 

BRAZIL: 90 MILLION 

PEOPLE WITH A 46% 

SHARE Of PURCHASING 

POWER 

HIGHLIGHT 

! 

GROUP REORGANIZATION IN SOUTH AMERICA 

To improve the efficiency of our structures and reinforce cooperation between our subsidiaries in South America, it was decided at the end of 2009, 

to regroup them around three multi-country support service clusters, covering Brazil, the Andean Pact countries and Southwest America. These 

regrouped marketing, sales, logistics and administrative teams gave us a more focused overall picture of our retail clients, and generated powerful 

synergy benefits which were quickly felt in our business results. In Brazil for example, our strengthened sales force and a more assertive product 

strategy led to a resurgence of our cookware sales in 2010.


44-45 

I N T E R N AT I O N A L / E M E R G I N G M A R K E T S 

TAKEOVER SPURS EXPANSION 

IN COLOMBIA 

The Chinese market also saw an explosion in demand. Emerging 

stronger from the financial crisis, China is now ranked the world's 

second economic superpower...and our second-largest market. 

The Group is strategically well placed in this market through 

Supor’s presence in both small electrical appliances and cookware. 

Thanks to this famous local brand, our extended and adapted 

product offer, and an efficient on-the-spot manufacturing base, 

the Group is in a position to take full advantage of rapid growth in 

the Chinese market. 

Even in more restive markets such as those of Central and Eastern 

Europe or Russia, the strong positions enjoyed by the Group mean 

it can keep its sights on the long term, while taking measured risks 

pending economic recovery. The profile of the distribution industry 

in this zone has been transformed in recent years as a result of 

concentration and globalization of the retail sector. It remains an 

essential relay in the revival of consumer spending, particularly 

through expansion in large cities, which opens up new perspectives 

for the Group. 

Established for many years in South America with well-known brands which 

are leaders in their respective markets, Groupe SEB continues to strengthen 

its positions and extend its coverage of this zone. The acquisition – 

announced in July 2010 and finalized in February 2011 – of the Colombian 

company Imusa, which makes and sells cookware and food and household 

plastic products, is fully in line with this policy of expansion. 

The Group – already local market leader in small electrical appliances with 

its Samurai brand – now becomes leader in cookware as well, with the 

takeover of Imusa. This gives the Group an excellent opportunity, not just in 

Colombia, but also generally in South and Central America, where Imusa is 

already well established, as well as in the United States where a subsidiary 

of Imusa serves a large Hispanic population. 

The Imusa profile is well matched to Groupe SEB, which will help us to quickly 

speak the same language and jointly reinforce our market leadership. 

IMUSA IN fIGURES 

2 brands: 

2 factories 

2 marketing companies 

12 own stores 

900 employees


2010 

A LOCALLY 

ADAPTED OffER 

from Asia to South America, from the Middle East to Eastern Europe, 

the proles of emerging markets vary widely and call for special 

understanding of the different challenges involved. The Group is very 

alert and pragmatic in responding to the realities of these markets. 

MEETING THE NEED fOR BASIC EQUIPMENT 

In emerging markets, the Group is, first and foremost, responding 

to a basic and urgent need for equipment. These new consumers, 

whose purchasing power is on the rise, want to equip their homes 

and improve their living environment. Small domestic equipment, 

which sells at moderate average prices, is at the forefront of this 

new accession to home comforts. Cookware and electric irons often 

serve as forerunner products for the Group, which then goes on to 

penetrate these markets with an adapted offer. 

PROPOSING AN ADAPTED OffER 

For Groupe SEB, diversity in local usage and culinary traditions 

brings new opportunities. Indeed, our daily concern is to develop 

a product offer that corresponds to the eating habits of all kinds 

of consumers... because people do not eat rice in China in the 

same way as they do in Peru, because bread in Turkey is not the 

same as in Russia. This rich diversity generates value for the 

Group. 

The matching of products to needs can also mean adapting 

accessories. In the Middle East for example, the Moulinette 

shredder has a special blade for chopping spices – very popular in 

these countries – while in Brazil, blenders are equipped with 

accessories for exotic fruits. The Group also offers special products 

and novel features to meet specific local needs. Some examples 

are an anti-mosquito fan for the warm countries of South 

America, or a soya milk extractor for China, while, in Russia, 

a real favourite is our special meat mincer designed for the needs 

of traditional local recipes. 

ENTICING MARKETS UP-RANGE 

However, in addition to its adapted local offer, the Group also 

targets all the world’s markets with its high added-value star 

products, which respond equally to the desires of mature and 

emerging markets. For example, we have successfully launched 

steam systems in Turkey, while the Actifry is also a number 

1 seller in the Middle East, Poland and Turkey; the Dolce Gusto 

– in partnership with Nestlé – was an instant success in Brazil, 

where it brought new vitality to the entire coffee-pod market; 

meanwhile, in China, Supor is now a specialist in induction 

cooking hobs.


46-47 

I N T E R N AT I O N A L / E M E R G I N G M A R K E T S 

SUPOR SALES MULTIPLIED 

BY 3 IN 4 YEARS 

This illustrates our increasingly broad coverage of all segments 

of the market, from entry-to-mid-level, which meet the needs of 

first-time buyers, to higher status middle-to-upper ranges which 

attract consumers with greater purchasing power. 

BEING VIGILANT AND RESPONSIVE 

Constant and rapid change in emerging markets also calls for 

responsiveness and the ability to adapt. If we do not have 

factories in a country where new import barriers are introduced, 

we can reconsider our product offer. In Argentina, for example, 

despite protectionist measures affecting certain articles, the Group 

recorded an excellent year. Its generalist profile allowed it to 

quickly develop a new offer unaffected by regulatory constraints. 

Likewise in Turkey, import barriers caused us to reorganize our 

approach to this market by opting for a locally contracted product 

creation procedure. 

In 2010, the Group renewed 90% 

of its blender range in Brazil. 

HIGHLIGHT 

! 

ACCUMULATING AWARDS 

• Hungary: In September, Tefal’s Quick & Hot instant hot-water fountain was awarded a Power Saving prize by E.ON, the country’s biggest energy 

supplier. 

• Brazil: The very popular women's magazine ‘Nova’ gave its ‘Prêmio de Beleza’ best-buy beauty products distinction to Arno’s Respect hair 

straightener. 

• Brazil: The ‘Top of Mind 2010’ market study which measures the spontaneous impact of brands gave Arno first prize in the vacuum-cleaning 

category. 

• China: Supor received a ‘Creative Award’ for its TV advert for Thermospot pans during the 5th China International TV Advertising Awards Festival. 

• Czech Republic: the Tefal Ultimate Autoclean TV spot won the ‘Best ad of November’ award given by the Czech magazine ‘Strategy’.


2010 

EXPANDING OUR 

RETAIL BANNERS 

RETAIL NETWORKS VARY BY COUNTRY 

The profile of the retail industry in emerging markets is even more 

varied than in mature markets. Highly concentrated in Russia 

since the economic crisis, it may be fragmented as in China, or 

mixed as in Brazil where major trading banners work alongside a 

multitude of independent stores. 

Store formats also differ, ranging from hypermarkets to specialist 

stores, or even more exotic forms such as ‘souk’ marketplace stalls 

or mobile shops. This diversity is taken fully into account in the 

Group's marketing and product-launch strategy. 

fORGING CLOSE RELATIONS 

All retailers, of whatever type, are key partners in the Group’s 

expansion. This alliance is seen at many levels, ranging from joint 

inventory management to merchandising, and even tailor-made 

collections. 

Customer loyalty schemes run by our retail clients are also an 

important stimulus to demand. In Mexico for example, our 2010 

sales were boosted by a partner arrangement with the Soriana 

retail chain, which used our cookware in its customer loyalty 

scheme. We also work regularly with our clients in Central Europe 

on this type of operation, which is very common in these markets. 

Meanwhile, the use of multi-country support clusters gives the 

Group an overall picture of markets and helps it to pool resources. 

In Brazil, for example, it has created key international account 

manager posts, and redeployed its sales force to better serve the 

interests of the Group in these local territories, in both small 

electrical appliances and cookware. 

OWN RETAIL BANNERS BOOST SALES 

The Group also continues to operate its own retail network, which 

extends its geographic reach and ensures better coverage of 

particular market segments. 

In 1997, Groupe SEB created its own Tefal Shop network in 

Turkey to make up for lack of structure in the local distribution 

industry. Today, 155 Tefal shops account for more than a third 

of our sales in this market.


48-49 

I N T E R N AT I O N A L / E M E R G I N G C O U N T R I E S 

1,065 OWN STORES 

IN EMERGING COUNTRIES 

Expansion of our own retail network in South America was 

stepped up in 2010. The Group now operates 22 of its own stores 

in Brazil. Apart from generating extra sales, these stores help to 

penetrate markets with high-end ranges – local shops being 

reluctant to venture too far up-range – or to test-run new products 

or concepts before launching them on the market. Ten new stores 

were opened last year in Colombia, and three in Argentina. In 

Chile where the retail industry is highly concentrated, our network 

of seven boutiques adopts a different commercial approach with 

a wider choice of products and a high level of customer service. 

Eastern and Central Europe boasted 29 own stores at the end 

of 2010. The rapid spread of shopping malls opens up new 

perspectives for the Group, with potential to expand its own-store 

network in these markets. 

In China, Supor Life Stores differ from the Group’s other retail 

formats by their location in so-called ‘3 and 4-tier’ cities, where 

modern retail structures are not common, and where living 

standards are not as high as in the larger cities along China’s east 

coast. 

ALTERNATIVE RETAILING: 

10% Of SALES IN 2010 

SD 

SPOTLIGHT 

r 

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT GROUPE SEB BRAZIL 

Sergio Seiffert Assis, Director of Production, Brazil, Chairman of ConSEB. 

“The sustainable development effort of Groupe SEB Brazil is driven and coordinated by ConSEB, a committee comprising 

13 voluntary employees drawn from different sectors of the company. With the support of the Group Management Board, 

ConSEB defines priorities for action in line with Group objectives, and follows up on their progress. The results? More 

environment-friendly products such as the Niagara washing machine with its A-rated Eco energy label, or the Click & Mix blender which is 89% 

recyclable; but also, new advances in the treatment of factory effluent, and reinforced social solidarity, notably to improve access to employment for 

disadvantaged young people. These are just a few examples. Our working teams are taking more and more initiatives in sustainable development – 

an approach increasingly integrated into their day-to-day lives.“


2010 


TALENT 

KNOWS NO BOUNDS 

A F O R C E F O R P R O G R E S S 

T E A M D Y N A M I C S 

52 

60


50-51


2010 

A fORCE 

fOR PROGRESS 

B R E A K D O W N O F P R O D U C T I O N I N 2 0 1 0 

Outsourcing: 30% 

Asia: 20% 


“With 70% of products made internally, Groupe SEB is atypical 

of the small domestic equipment industry. Of the Group’s 

24 factories, 12 are based in Europe, including ten in France, 

which is an achievement when you consider that two-thirds of all 

small electrical appliances sold worldwide are made in China. 

Groupe SEB strikes the right balance: on the one hand, our 

Europe-based industrial units serve as centres of innovative 

Europe: 40% 

expertise and a model for our in-house teams, while, on the other 

hand, we continue to develop competitive multiproduct factories 

close to our international markets. We also use tactical outsourcing 

for the supply of components or basic standardized products. 


” 

Our industrial strength is also underpinned by the day-to-day 

commitment of our employees to optimize and constantly improve 

our operating structures. Their teamwork, their pooling of 

expertise and good practices, their involvement in Group-wide and 

international projects, all mean that today Groupe SEB can rely 

on an efficient organization which allows it to operate on the world 

stage with confidence and responsibility. 

Stéphane Laflèche, 

Senior Executive Vice-President, Industrial Operations 

INVESTMENTS 

Of €140 MILLION: 

+28%


52-53 

WORKING IN TEAMS 

TO MOVE AHEAD 

TOGETHER 

O P E R AT I N G S T R U C T U R E S 

Arno plant in Brazil. 

Selongey, Côte d’Or, 

France, almost 

1.4 million pressure 

cookers 

made in 2010. 

Lagostina made at Omegna, 

Italy, since 1901. 

Supor production 

ramped up 

to serve local markets.


2010 

DEPLOYING UNIQUE 

INDUSTRIAL 

EXPERTISE 

Groupe SEB has built an international 

industrial base which is geared to efciently 

serve targeted markets in optimal competitive 

conditions. 

Pont-Evêque, 

the world’s biggest factory 

for steam-ironing systems. 

These factors, combined with ongoing strategic rationalization of 

our factories, ensure that we can be competitive. Finally, direct 

control of production means the Group can guarantee the quality 

of its products. 

PRODUCTION IN LOW-COST COUNTRIES, 

AN ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGE 

However, for certain basic products with low added value, 

the Group has equipped itself with industrial facilities in low-cost 

countries. As our products are relatively small, there is no 

obstacle to manufacturing them far from their intended markets. 

PRODUCTION IN MATURE MARKETS, 

THE POWER Of INNOVATION 

Historically based in Europe, in particular in France, Groupe SEB 

has always maintained a substantial industrial base in these 

markets – unlike many of its rivals who have gradually relocated 

their production to low-cost countries. This economic choice is 

possible because of the Group’s deliberate policy of specializing its 

factories by making them centres of expertise, which are then used 

as a benchmark for the whole Group. Within this framework, we 

encourage close working links between research, development, 

marketing and production to facilitate the process of innovation. 

This teamwork also involves sharing skills and know-how in such 

areas as metal stamping, surface coating, plastics, or knowledge 

of materials. 

The decision to manufacture in Europe is justified when it is 

focused on innovation, high added-value products and the 

economies of scale made possible by automated facilities. 

Proximity to markets is also a major advantage used by the Group 

to further its expansion. Making products locally helps to reduce 

indirect costs (logistics, import charges) and allows for more 

efficient and rapid penetration of high-growth emerging markets. 

Moreover, through its local industrial presence, the Group builds 

up new technological and industrial expertise, which it can then 

duplicate for the benefit of all its operations and markets. 

Thus, in South America, Brazilian teams are the Group’s experts 

in blenders and fans, while Supor in China is a source of 

specialist knowledge in rice cooking and induction hobs. 

Finally, the Group pools the experience and synergies of its 

factories in order to offer increasingly relevant solutions to 

consumers. For example, 2011 will see the arrival of a new range 

of pressure cookers with an insert lid (typical in Brazil), and a 

nonstick coating (from our Rumilly plant in France). 

STRENGTHENED TEAMS TO HANDLE 

SUPOR SUB-CONTRACTING 

fOR THE GROUP: +80 STAff IN CHINA


54-55 

OUTSOURCING, A TACTICAL LEVER 

Today’s industrial model involves a trade-off between own-production and outsourcing. 

The Group adapts its response strategically, and uses outsourcing at different levels in the 

production chain. In the first place, outsourcing gives access to complex sub-assemblies which 

are very labour-intensive, and which would erode its competitive edge if the Group made them 

in its own factories. In the second place, sourcing can give access, if necessary, to finished 

products*, especially where this concerns renewal of existing products with no new 

innovation, or an urgent need to replenish stocks – or again, if this option is better suited to the 

commercial outlook of the product. The decision to outsource involves close collaboration with 

suppliers to ensure compliance with the Group’s high standards. 


BRAZIL’S RECIfE PLANT 

UPGRADED TO A fULL-SCALE 

fACTORY: 1.7 MILLION ARTICLES 

PRODUCED IN 2010 

* Share of sourcing in 2010: 30% 

Rumilly: 45 million articles 

made in 2010. 

Panex factory in Brazil. 

Vacuum cleaner 

centre of expertise, 

Vernon, France. 

SD 

SPOTLIGHT 

r 

SUPOR EMPHASIZES WORK SAfETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 

Wah Hock Chia, Director of Production, Supor (China) 

“Supor’s work safety performance improved in 2010. This reflects the reinforcement of our work safety policy, which is the 

subject of a monthly report to Groupe SEB. Last year we carried out an extensive programme of training and safety awareness 

in all our plants. We also invested in machine safety and converted certain equipment to semi-automatic mode to reduce the risk 

of accidents. The environment is another important focus of our industrial policy. We are stepping up our efforts particularly in the areas of water and 

energy saving. For example, in 2010, we modernized several water treatment facilities and implemented solutions for recycling hot air from 

compressors for re-use in certain processes. We are working to obtain ISO 14001* and OHSAS 18001* certification for all our plants by the end of 

2012, in line with the Group’s standards.”


2010 

WORkING IN TEAMS 

TO MAXIMIzE 

OPERATIONAL EffICIENCY 

In parallel, a productivity improvement plan for each site makes 

it possible to deal with local issues in greater detail. These plans, 

overseen by a team of project managers, are aimed to increase 

production while ensuring high quality, and focus on such things 

as timely maintenance of tools and optimized flow management. 

By methodically monitoring compliance and taking appropriate 

corrective action, the Group is arming itself with efficient and 

competitive industrial facilities. Moreover, it encourages the 

exchange of know-how and experience between the Group’s 

working teams, either by bringing them together or via its 

collaborative Intranet sites, as well as through motivating events 

such as the Best Practices in-house challenge competition. 

A STRUCTURED APPROACH AND TEAM SPIRIT 

It is vitally important for a world-spanning industrial group to 

promote corporate team spirit and avoid fragmentation – a 

principle which we apply with equal force at Group level and 

within each of our entities around the world. For this purpose, 

we use a system of indicators based on common standards to 

constantly monitor industrial performance and ensure that we are 

being competitive. This global perspective allows us to benefit 

from best practices, identify weak points, initiate action plans or 

take corrective measures. Supor sites in China, integrated since 

2008, are gradually applying these methods to bring them into 

line with Group standards. 

10,000 WORKSTATIONS 

LINKED VIA 

A COMPUTER NETWORK 

COVERING 106 SITES 

HIGHLIGHT 

! 

‘01 BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGIES’ SPECIAL AWARD fOR PHILIPPE GUYARD 

Philippe Guyard, Groupe SEB’s IT Manager was singled out by the ‘01 Business and Technologies’ magazine for the Club 01 DSI Special Trophy, 

which awards the IT Manager for whom the most votes were cast on the Internet. This award highlights the ability of our IT teams to accompany 

the rapid expansion and globalization of the Group in recent years. The development of an information systems integration methodology played an 

important support role in the Group’s acquisition strategy.


56-57 


The diversity of our industrial facilities and the close links maintained 

between the teams that work in them are a major asset 

for Groupe SEB in its pursuit of excellence. 

INfORMATION SYSTEMS, A BACKBONE Of THE GROUP 

Our IT teams support the Group’s corporate functions by making 

them increasingly efficient and interconnected, and by structuring 

in-house communications. 

The Group’s information system, which helps to harmonize 

practices and share knowledge, has grown rapidly in recent years 

in parallel with structural changes and the expansion of our 

business. Examples of the IT support role in the Group’s 

development in 2010 included: the setup and monitoring of a 

multi-country cluster in South America (Argentina, Chile and 

Peru), the roll-out of a new information system for our own-store 

retail network; and backup for Supor teams as they bring working 

methods into line with those of the Group. 

BEST PRACTICES CHALLENGE 

Launched in 2008 by the Industrial Planning department, the Best Practices 

annual challenge helps to identify and share good practices introduced in our 

factories each year, selecting the best of them for implementation throughout 

the Group. 

Following the success of the first two editions, the contest was repeated 

in 2010 when many new ideas were submitted by the Group’s sites. Award 

winners will be named in the first half of 2011 by a jury comprising 

members of the Industrial Planning committee. 

The 2009 Golden Trophy was won by France’s Rumilly Cooking site, 

followed by Mayenne, France (Silver Trophy), and Mooca, Brazil (Bronze 

Trophy). 

Meanwhile, we have continued to consolidate support structures 

by extending our SAP system to the United States and optimizing 

it in Northern Europe and elsewhere, and by expanding our 

Shared Corporate Accounting Services which now cover ten 

French and four foreign subsidiaries.


2010 

COMMANDING 

THE SUPPLY CHAIN 

fROM fACTORY 

TO CONSUMER 

EffICIENT ORGANIZATION... 

The supply chain is essential to the Group’s competitive 

performance because it ensures optimum management of 

product logistics from the design stage until final delivery to a 

satisfied client. This function is now organized around a dedicated 

structure within each SBA. In addition, Group-wide teams 

contribute to overall efficiency by providing support in specific 

logistics areas such as special projects, export, or Chinese supply 

management. 

The effectiveness of the logistics chain depends above all on strict 

control of internal stock levels. Hence the Group’s introduction 

of a more precise sales forecasting system which will match 

supplies as closely as possible to expected demand, and so ensure 

accurate production and commercial planning. We have also 

continued our efforts to clear old lines, surplus stocks and 

slow-moving ranges, in order to improve the overall quality of 

stocks in hand. Meanwhile, the Group has launched a farreaching 

initiative to harmonize the planning process through 

common practices and greater coordination between SBAs, 

markets and factories. In 2010, there was a notable improvement 

in the Group’s average stock-level ratio, compared with 2009. 

The Group is also conducting several parallel projects to 

consolidate its logistics platforms so as to make them even more 

efficient and responsive, and to optimize packaging and 

container loading by defining common standards. 

All these measures and action plans are designed to control and 

coordinate flows of goods and information more effectively, 

so that the Group can give irreproachable service to its retailer 

clients by offering them solutions which are adapted and even 

tailor-made to their needs.


58-59 


The success of a product depends on its efcient integration 

into a coherent supply chain which guarantees satisfaction 

for our retail clients and keeps promises to consumers. 

...fOR A SATISfIED CUSTOMER 

As end-user satisfaction is of paramount importance, Groupe SEB 

strives to offer consumers quality products and, when needed, 

good after-sales service adapted to each case. For this reason, it 

adopts a proactive strategy of product support, with several goals 

in mind: 

Quality control 

at every stage. 

guaranteed strict quality control right from the 

production stage – whether the product is made in-house 

or sourced – to identify and resolve any potential 

problems well up-stream; 

user-support via detailed help websites (video, 

demonstrations, advice...), to guide consumers in the 

optimum use of products, and so avoid mishandling and 

disappointments; 

common worldwide standards of after-sales service 

which can distinguish between customer discontent and 

material defects; it should be easy to have a faulty 

product repaired, and so limit the need for retailers to 

handle claims, as well as avoiding unnecessary and costly 

returns for the Group. 

MORE THAN 100 

LOGISTICS PLATfORMS 

AROUND THE WORLD 

Vacuum-cleaner tests 

to guarantee 

optimum efficiency. 

SD 

SPOTLIGHT 

r 

LOGISTICS: WHEN ECONOMY RHYMES WITH ECOLOGY 

Thomas Debray, Group Logistics Manager 

“To reduce CO 2 emissions in the supply chain, our logistics policy aims to use more eco-friendly forms of freight traffic, and 

ensure optimum loading of transport units. Maximum loading of trucks and containers means less CO 2 per carried kilo, as well 

as lower transport costs – being both an economic and ecological gain. In 2010, we introduced size constraints for packaging, 

to be applied right from the product design stage, so as to optimize palette loading and minimize unused container space. Just a few millimetres less in 

the height or width of a product can have a significant impact on loading rates – and so, on logistics costs...and ecological costs. We are now helping to 

implement this packaging methodology in all the Group’s design units”.


2010 

TEAM 

DYNAMICS 

Groupe SEB is both a global business and a 

human enterprise with a strong sense of values, 

which aims to give all its employees the 

opportunity to fully develop their career 

potential. 

“In just ten years, Groupe SEB has doubled in size, acquiring 

several companies and expanding around the globe. To ensure its 

continued growth in a changing and complex world, it is more vital 

than ever for the Group to attract and develop talent. With this in 

mind, it has revitalized its hiring strategy, particularly in graduate 

recruitment. Career planning begins as soon as a new recruit joins 

the company. We support our staff with professional training, 

development of skills, opportunities for geographic mobility, and 

even transfer between specialist areas, so that everyone in the 

Group can plan a career to match their talents and ambitions. 

The Group’s human resources policy integrates principles of 

corporate and social responsibility which are inscribed in its values 

and history. The Group’s corporate cohesion is reflected in the 

quality of its labour relations, and in the regular involvement 

of its employees in sponsorship programmes. Corporate, social 

and environmental responsibility are essential components of 

sustainable development. It is not by chance that the Group’s 

sustainable development drive is a responsibility of our Human 

Resources department, as the behaviour and attitudes of 

employees are of vital importance to making progress 

in this area. 

” 

“EVERYONE 

IN THE GROUP 

CAN PLAN 

A CAREER 

TO MATCH 

THEIR TALENTS 

AND AMBITIONS” 

Harry Touret 

Senior Executive Vice-President, Human Resources


60-61 

H U M A N R E S O U R C E S 

23,000 EMPLOYEES 

SPREAD OVER 51 COUNTRIES 

Active labour dialogue: 

in 2010, Groupe SEB signed 

90 collective agreements 

with its employees around the world. 

In 2010, the number 

of female managers 

rose at almost double 

the rate of male 

managers 

(+11.3%, compared 

with +6.0%). 

Today, the overall 

proportion of female 

managers for all the 

Group’s companies 

is 32%.


2010 

ATTRACTING AND 

CULTIVATING 

TALENT 

OVER 50 NATIONALITIES 

IN THE GROUPE SEB 

MANAGEMENT COMMUNITY 

Participating in student forums 

helps to make the Group better 

known as a potential employer. 

Welcome seminars 

help new managers 

from different countries 

to discover the Group 

and start to build up 

their relational network. 

ENLARGING THE POOL Of CANDIDATES 

To make it more attractive to potential candidates, the Group 

redesigned the Careers Area of its corporate website in 2010. 

The new look highlights originality, the human dimension and 

authenticity. It features more than thirty testimonies from staff on 

different aspects of the Group’s human resources management, 

and how it puts its values to work daily. Visitors to the website can 

consult job vacancies and submit an application online via a new 

recruitment feature. In 2011, it is planned to launch a dozen new 

‘local’ international career sites. 

GETTING Off TO A GOOD START 

Once new managers are hired, the Group helps to orient them 

and plan their career within the company. Revised in 2010, the 

orientation process now extends over six months. It includes an 

introductory seminar with the presence of senior executives, 

sponsor pairing, a visit to a factory and major retail client, and a 

feed-back report drawn up by the new recruit. 

ATTRACTING YOUNG TALENT 

Daniele Collari, International Campus Manager 

With catchy slogans and offbeat 

snapshots of Groupe SEB staff, the 

new careers area of our corporate 

website targets mainly young 

candidates. 

“At student forums, young people are attracted 

by our brands and products, familiar to them in 

their daily lives – though they do not always 

connect them with Groupe SEB. They are 

usually surprised to learn of the extent and 

dynamism of the Group. This is why we want 

to make ourselves better known to leading 

business and engineering schools as a prospective 

employer. In 2010, we concentrated 

our efforts on France, before extending our 

campaign internationally in 2011. As well as being present at more 

student seminars, we also develop educational partnerships with 

selected institutions with a view to developing studies. Two new 

projects were initiated in this way on the theme of innovation. Our 

objective is to increase the number and quality of applicants, particularly 

for internships, so that we can develop a pool of talent to draw from 

for potential first-job recruitment.”


62-63 


4 WELCOME SEMINARS IN 2010: 

113 PARTICIPANTS, 19 NATIONALITIES 

A DYNAMIC MANAGEMENT COMMUNITY 

Groupe SEB today numbers more than 2,000 managers. These 

make up a very diverse community of nationalities, career backgrounds 

and expertise, while they share common management 

practices based on the Group’s values. In April 2010, the Management 

Convention attracted about 200 managers from some 

thirty countries. This event took stock of the Group’s results and 

latest advances, and reviewed our objectives for the coming years. 

As part of the Group’s dynamic approach to human resources 

planning, each manager is invited to become the architect of his 

or her own career. Harmonized procedures throughout the Group 

facilitate geographic and job mobility. These are regularly 

updated with new tools such as the global e-recruitment interface 

launched in 2010, which allows any employee to apply directly for 

any job vacancy within the Group. 

MANAGEMENT PRACTICES 

fORM AN INTEGRAL PART 

Of THE ANNUAL 

ASSESSMENT INTERVIEW 

The Management Convention, an opportunity 

for the Group Executive Committee 

to discuss results and goals with managers. 

COLLABORATIVE PLATfORMS MULTIPLY 

Intracom, the Group’s internal network, is the backbone of its 

in-house communications. Not only a mine of information, 

it serves, above all, as a collaborative work tool for the Group’s 

employees: the number of Intracom collaborative platforms has 

doubled each year since 2008 (some 50 were up and running in 

2010). A new version of Intracom was launched last year, with 

an updated graphic interface and easier access to Group documentation. 

This led to a 15% increase in the use of the portal.


2010 

DEVELOPING 

SkILLS AND 

SUPPORTING 

CHANGE 

NEW INTERNATIONAL TRAINING SEMINARS 

As training plays a key role in the development of skills, the Group 

stepped up its effort in this area last year with a budget allocation 

up by 30.1% on 2009. New facilities in 2010 included the 

creation of a School of Marketing and Sales to train 800 marketing 

and sales managers in the most advanced skills in their field. 

In its first year, 155 managers already took part in these 

seminars. A new ‘Leader’ management training programme to 

support the Group’s expansion was set up in liaison with the IMD 

Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland. Another initiative, the 

e-learning ‘Global English’ revision module, has already been 

taken up by almost 500 employees worldwide. 

DECENTRALIZED TRAINING 

Working within the framework of training priorities defined by the 

Group, each subsidiary develops its own training provision 

adapted to local needs. One example is the Groupe SEB Supor 

Academy launched in Hangzhou, China, in 2009, which provided 

training for more than 1,000 employees in 2010. This structure 

has integrated several Groupe SEB Academy modules, notably in 

the areas of leadership, corporate values and management practices. 

Meanwhile, in France, an extensive programme of training 

was carried out during 2010 in the context of advance planning 

for careers and skills. This training aims to improve employability, 

in particular for those with low levels of qualification. 

SD SPOTLIGHT 

rLABOUR RELATIONS: SHANGHAI PLANT ATTRACTS PRAISE 

Calogero franchina, Manager of SSEAC, the Group’s industrial plant in Shanghai, China 

“At SSEAC, we attach high importance to labour relations and work very effectively with trade union representatives. 

Our approach was commended in June 2010 with the accolade “Model company for harmony in working relations”. 

Following two social audits, we were singled out for this award by the Labour Administration, the Trade Union Federation 

and the Employers’ Association of Minhang. Among the noted achievements of our human resources policy in 2010 was a 

training course aimed particularly at migrant workers from distant rural areas, who form a large part of the workforce. 

The course explained their labour rights and how to protect them. More generally, we also strive to ensure good working conditions. We have, for 

example, just installed air conditioning to reduce the heat in workshops during the summer, something which, in general, is not done locally.”


64-65 


QUALIfICATION TRAINING 

fOR 320 PLANT OPERATIVES IN fRANCE 

TO IMPROVE THEIR EMPLOYABILITY 

GRADUAL INTEGRATION Of 

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 

CRITERIA IN MANAGERIAL 

JOB DESCRIPTIONS 

SD 

SPOTLIGHT 

rA CHALLENGE fOR 

THE ENVIRONMENT 

Daniel Sullerot, Work Study Technician, 

Selongey factory, France 

“The goal of the EcoChallenge exercise 

carried out at the Selongey and Is-sur- 

Tille sites was to encourage the adoption 

of good reflexes to protect the environment. 

I helped to organize this programme, 

which lasted for nine months in 

the offices and workshops of these plants. Information 

meetings and posters drew attention to the right things to 

do, and a weekly quiz kept momentum going. Everyone 

took part, including operatives in the workshops, where 

computers were installed to allow them to participate. This 

informal, fun approach to awareness-raising led to reduced consumption of 

paper, energy and water. In Selongey alone we saved 1,000 m 3 of water in the 

workshops. Points won in the quiz were ‘converted’ into trees planted in the 

region at the end of 2010. More than 400 trees were planted for the two sites. 

The most important result is that the new reflexes have been maintained – 

something I regularly notice.” 

RESTRUCTURING THAT RESPECTS INDIVIDUALS 

The creation of the kitchen electrics division announced in 

mid-2009 required the regrouping of employees in Burgundy 

(Selongey and Is-sur-Tille). This led to the closure of sites at Caen 

and La Défense where 121 people worked. As part of the job 

protection plan negotiated with labour unions, each person 

concerned was offered another post within the Group, mainly in 

Burgundy or Mayenne. Forty people accepted job transfers. The 

others were given individual support, so that a solution was found 

for everyone: early retirement, a new job or the realization of a 

personal project. 

SOCIAL WELfARE: AIMING fOR EQUITY 

In the interests of fairness, Groupe SEB wants to ensure that its 

employees in different countries enjoy a good level of social 

welfare cover in relation to their local context. For this purpose, 

it conducted a social audit of all its subsidiaries worldwide in 

2010. Based on the results of this audit, Group policy in this area 

will be defined in 2011, and an action plan will be put in place at 

the end of the year. 

IN EUROPE, AN E-LEARNING MODULE 

IN COMPETITION LAW 

fOR ALL MANAGERS 

IN COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS


2010 

S U S T A I N A B L E D E V E L O P M E N T 

T U R N I N G C H A L L E N G E S I N T O D E E D S 

E M B E D D E D I N E V E R Y F I B R E O F T H E G R O U P 

68 70


66-67 

RESPONSIBLE 

HORIZONS


2010 

TURNING CHALLENGES 

INTO DEEDS 

GLOBAL EXPANSION AND CORPORATE ETHICS 

The centre of gravity of our business continues to shift toward 

emerging economies, especially since the takeover of Supor in 

China. The Group is vigilant at all times to ensure that this 

expansion is carried out in compliance with its principles and its 

approach to sustainable development. In doing this, it uses 

guidelines and a worldwide reporting system to monitor performance 

in areas such as health & safety at work, Human Rights and 

respect for the environment. A sustainable development 

action plan is set in motion in all newly acquired entities, to 

gradually bring them into line with Group standards. 

SAfEGUARDING THE ENVIRONMENT 

THROUGHOUT THE PRODUCT LIfECYCLE 

To limit the ecological impact of its operations, Groupe SEB takes 

the environment into account at every stage in the lifecycle of its 

products. Its eco-design goals include product recyclability, 

cutting power consumption and developing the use of recycled 

materials. In the area of production, 78% of the Group's entities 

are certified ISO 14001, while recently acquired companies are 

working toward this goal. Its eco-logistics plan aims to cut CO 2 

emissions by freight transport. The Group is also an active 

participant in the system for collecting and processing end-of-use 

products. 

TAKING ACCOUNT Of A CHANGING SOCIETY 

Groupe SEB keeps in step with sociological changes affecting its 

employees as well as society in general. The ageing workforce in 

Europe, for example, is a challenge in the effort to reduce 

occupational illness, to which we are responding with a proactive 

Health & Safety plan. The Group also promotes diversity within 

its workforce and takes this into account in recruitment. Meanwhile, 

in view of the context of economic uncertainty, the Group 

helps to ensure the future employability of its staff with appropriate 

training programmes. 

BEHAVING AS A CITIZEN ENTERPRISE 

Civil society puts growing pressure on the business world to 

respect high social, ethical and environmental standards. Groupe 

SEB’s social concern is evident at many levels. In the territories 

where it operates, it behaves as a responsible economic citizen: 

in the event of site restructuring, for example, it does everything 

possible to limit the impact on the local economy. The Group also 

participates in local life by forging links with the community and 

taking part in debates on issues of social concern such as nutrition 

and health. Its community commitment is also seen in its 

corporate philanthropic work, which is focused on the promotion 

of social integration. 

RESPONDING TO CONSUMER NEEDS 

WITH DURABLE PRODUCTS 

Modern consumers want products that pay attention to issues 

such as public health, food safety and caring for the environment. 

Groupe SEB makes every effort to ensure strict surveillance of 

these areas. Each new generation of products brings innovative 

features that respect the needs of individuals and the environment. 

The field of nutrition and health is of special interest to the 

Group’s innovation of new products designed for tasty and 

healthy food preparation. 

Tefal’s Enjoy 

kitchen utensil range.


68-69 

C H A L L E N G E S 

Each company denes its own sustainable development priorities in 

relation to its strategic stance, the nature of its business, its structure 

and local context. Groupe SEB has dened ve priority areas, each 

of which is the subject of specic action plans. 

The Vitacuisine steam cooker 

from the Nutritious & Delicious 

range preserves more vitamins 

during cooking.


2010 

EMBEDDED 

IN EVERY 

fIBRE Of 

THE GROUP 

Corporate ethics, protection of the environment, 

social commitment, respect for the individual... 

These components of sustainable development 

are a central day-to-day concern of all our 

working teams, and are increasingly embedded 

in every task undertaken by the Group. 

AN INTRANET PORTAL 

DEDICATED TO SUSTAINABLE 

DEVELOPMENT: NEWS, 

COMMITMENTS, ACTION PLANS. 

MORE THAN 2,000 VISITS IN 2010 

” 

Progress on sustainable development is not just a list of impressive 

achievements, but an in-depth approach that pervades every 

aspect of our corporate enterprise. It implies raising awareness, 

improving habits, investing effort... We move ahead with pragmatism, 

patience, determination, step-by-step, defining priorities. 

Our Group-wide approach involves all our employees and benefits 

from their converging insights into the issues addressed. 

Where are we today, six years on from the creation of the 

Sustainable Development department? Our approach is 

methodical, with sustainable development principles now 

integrated into all of the Group’s 14 key processes. Several 

media are devoted to the subject, and our feed-back reporting 

system is increasingly effective. But, most importantly, the 

systematic and concerted carrying out of action plans has led 

to concrete progress in many areas. This is especially true of Health 

& Safety, supplier compliance, respect for the environment and 

product innovation. The focus of our R&D and marketing teams on 

sustainable development in innovation is also beginning to bear 

fruit – as seen in the impressive ecological performance and 

nutritional benefits of the Group’s new ranges. These are, in 

a sense, just the tip of the iceberg in terms of sustainable 

development potential.” 

” 

Christian Coutin 

Vice-President, Sustainable Development


70-71 

E T H I C S A N D P R I O R I T I E S 

ADHERENCE TO 

THE GLOBAL COMPACT* 

IN 2003 

ADHERENCE TO 

THE CECED CODE 

Of CONDUCT* IN 2005 

MONITORING AND fOLLOW-UP 

The Internal Audit department has drawn up a checklist based on 

Global Compact principles, and monitors the annual Human 

Rights self-assessment (HRCA Quick Check*) results for each 

entity. This data is systematically reviewed during social audits. 

fAVOURABLE OVERALL RATING 

Of THE GROUP'S SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, 

WHICH IS REVIEWED REGULARLY BY THE 

INDEPENDENT RATING AGENCY, VIGEO. 

SIGNATORY 

Of THE DIVERSITY 

CHARTER* 

IN fRANCE 

IN 2005 

A steering committee comprising 

representatives of the Group’s main 

business areas examines the different 

sustainable development themes 

which regularly feature on the agenda 

of the Group Executive Committee. 

* See glossary, page 84


2010 

ACTION 

PLANS 

E T H I C S A N D P R I O R I T I E S 

for more detailed information on sustainable development action 

plans, consult our website www.groupeseb-devdurable.com 

MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2010** 

Priorities Progress Principal achievements 

Review of Human Rights practices and policies 

 

Initiation of action plans following implementation of the HRCA 

Quick Check* self-assessment tool in the Group’s subsidiaries. 

Deployment of the CBSSC*, China version of the HRCA Quick 

Check* at all Supor and SSEAC sites. 

Promotion of diversity 

 

Initiation of a diversity action plan and the creation of a Diversity 

Monitoring Commission with a brief to oversee implementation of 

the plan. 

11.3% increase in the number of female managers, who represented 

32% of all Group managers in 2010. 

18 female employees trained to fill the usually male-dominated post 

of production-line supervisor at the Pont-Evêque and St Jean de 

Bournay factories in France. 

Corporate philanthropy to promote 

social integration 

 

48 projects supported in 2010. 

Improvement of health & safety at work 

 

83% of international production and logistics entities certified OHSAS 

18001*, compared with 68% in 2009. 

Reduction of 13% in the accident frequency rate* worldwide (excluding 

Supor). 

Creation of an MSI (muscular strain injury) steering committee at all 

French industrial and logistics sites. 

Improvement of customer service 

 

A 25% year-on-year reduction in the return rate of products under 

guarantee. 

Reduction of the impact of products 

on the environment (eco-design) 

 

Acticook pressure cooker: time spent on cooking reduced by 35%, 

with a 20% cut in power consumption, compared with a traditional 

pressure cooker. 

Natura: a range of cookware made from 100% recycled aluminium. 

Reduction of CO 2 emissions by transport 

relating to products (eco-logistics) 

 

Increase in lorries loading rates from 63% to 65% (excluding Supor). 

135,000 km saved through direct delivery to certain distributors. 

Managing end-of-use products 

 

Participation in the VALEEE* project for recycling and recovery of plastics 

from waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) in France. 

* See glossary, page 84 

** Data include Supor, unless otherwise stated


72 - 73 

RETAILERS, 

CONSUMERS: 

ALL OUR ATTENTION 

S TA K E H O L D E R S 

PRODUCT QUALITY AND CONSUMER SERVICE 

Good after-sales service and priority given to repair rather than exchange 

of products are two basic principles of Groupe SEB’s consumer 

service policy. In 2010, the Group continued its worldwide 

deployment of a computerized system which will eventually link 

up all its Customer Welcome Centres and approved repair 

centres. This shared platform will make it easier to handle 

customer claims and feed back comments to design teams, and so 

ensure constant progress. There was a marked improvement in 

the Group’s product quality indicators in 2010, as a result of a 

quality plan launched at the end of 2007. Moreover, the rate of 

repair as against replacement of returned products rose to 52% in 

France from the previous year’s 47% – which is also a benefit for 

the environment. 

NEW WORKING PARTNERSHIPS 

WITH RETAILERS 

Service is also at the heart of relations between 

Groupe SEB and its distributor clients. Apart 

from just-in-time order delivery, the Group is 

involved in various other partner arrangements 

with retailers. In 2010, for example, 

it test-ran a scheme with a major distributor 

involving the supply of assortments 

of small electrical appliances to cover all 

European markets. This considerably 

simplified stock-listings and logistics 

flows, to the economic advantage of both 

parties, while also reducing CO 2 emissions 

by freight transport. 

Rowenta Intensium 

vacuum cleaner. 

QUALITY PLAN: RATE Of RETURN fOR PRODUCTS 

UNDER GUARANTEE DOWN BY 25% IN 2010 

A WORLDWIDE GUARANTEE 

fOR KRUPS, MOULINEX, TEfAL 

AND ROWENTA PRODUCTS, 

WHEREVER THEY ARE BOUGHT 

CONSUMERS INTERESTED 

IN ECO-fRIENDLY PRODUCTS 

Gabriele Rizzoli, a Rowenta Intensium 

vacuum cleaner user (Italy) 

“Why did I choose to buy an Intensium vacuum cleaner 

rather than any other? I was looking for a fairly 

powerful, bagless cleaner, but I also wanted it to be 

eco-friendly – a ‘green’ product, if you like. I chose 

the Intensium because it is highly recyclable and uses 

25% less energy for the same power. My wife and I 

are concerned about safeguarding the environment: 

we prefer to use public transport, and avoid wasting electricity, for example. 

We feel responsible for the future of our children. We are very pleased with 

the Intensium, and would not hesitate to recommend it to our friends.”


2010 

SHAREHOLDERS: 

ALL HIGHLY 

VALUED 

Investor relations must be based 

on accessibility, condence and respect. 

The support of a stable and enduring 

shareholder base is essential for pursuing 

a long-term strategy. 

Development, Annual Financial Report, Half-Year Report (in 

digital form), and our Letter to Shareholders. The Group’s 

corporate and financial website also devotes special sections to 

shareholders, investors, and the press. In addition, we organize 

meetings throughout the year which bring us into direct contact 

and enable dialogue with all interested parties. Apart from the 

AGM in Paris, there are shareholder presentations in the French 

provinces, press conferences for financial analysts, road shows and 

one-to-one meetings with institutional investors in France and 

abroad, factory visits, theme days, and so on. On all these 

occasions, our policy is to engage in open and transparent 

dialogue, whatever the circumstances, and irrespective of the 

Group’s performance. 

A fAIR RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND OTHER BENEfITS 

AN ACTIVE POLICY Of COMMUNICATION 

We strive to offer our financial audience – shareholders, financial 

analysts, institutional investors or economic journalists – clear, 

accessible, and precise information through a variety of supports 

including regular press releases and targeted publications: AGM 

Convening Notice, Annual Report on Business and Sustainable 

The Group pursues a long-term dividend policy. This aims to give 

its shareholders a fair return on the capital they invest in it, either 

through a regular increase in the dividend when trading results 

permit, or by maintaining its level when circumstances demand. 

This year, the Board proposed a dividend of €1.17 in respect of 

the 2010 trading year, being an increase of 12.5%. 

THE WWW.GROUPESEB.COM WEBSITE: 

ALMOST 600,000 VISITORS IN 2010 

HIGHLIGHT 

! 

TWO AWARDS fOR SEB fINANCIAL COMMUNICATIONS 

Groupe SEB won the Corporate Governance Grand Prix 2010 trophy for Quality and Transparency, awarded by the French financial daily ‘L’Agefi’, 

based on the following criteria: 

• the detail, quality and accessibility of information; 

• the responsiveness and availability of management; 

• publication of a clear-cut, intelligible strategy. 

Another distinction, awarded by the Investor Relations Forum, singled out Groupe SEB Financial Communications Director Isabelle Posth for the 

second year running (already winner in 2009) with 2nd prize for Best Investor Relations. Nominations for these trophies are put forward by a panel 

of French financial analysts and managers, members of the French Society of Financial Analysts (SFAF), and decided by a jury of industry professionals. 

This new tribute by the financial community commends the consistent quality of Groupe SEB’s financial communications and investor relations.


74 - 75 


SOME 22,000 SHAREHOLDERS 

Of WHICH 5,000 ON THE NOMINAL 

REGISTER 

In addition to the dividend, a 10% dividend supplement is paid for 

all shares held on the nominal register for more than two years. 

This supplement may not exceed, for any one shareholder, a number 

of shares representing more than 0.5% of the capital. 

In addition to the dividend supplement, shares held on the 

nominal register entitle their owner to other benefits: 

AN AVAILABLE AND ATTENTIVE SERVICE 

Jacqueline Salaün, Shareholder Relations Manager 

“We aim to offer you efficient service and meet your information needs. For this purpose, we 

operate a two-tier structure. The external SEB Share Service manages shares on the nominal 

register (double voting rights, dividend supplement entitlement, notification of the AGM, 

dividend and supplement payments). It also handles stockmarket purchase 

and sale transactions and other tasks such as transfer or inheritance of share 

ownership. From 2011, these transactions can be done via the Internet. For my 

own part, within the Group, I am at your service personally to handle any queries 

or problems relating to your SEB shares and the advantages to which you are 

entitled.” 

free management and custody of their shares; 

a secure Internet website (for holders of purely nominal 

shares); 

INCREASE IN DIVIDEND OVER 5 YEARS (€) 

4.55 

double voting rights for shares held on the nominal 

register for more than five years; 

2.92 

3.18 

3.13 

special offers to buy products by mail-order from 

a wide choice in the Group’s Home & Cook Internet 

catalogue. 

1.78 

0.85 

0.93 

0.94 

1.04 

1.17 

Registration of shares helps us to get to know our shareholders 

better and have direct personal contact with them. 

2006 2007 2008 2009 

Net income per share 

Net dividend 

2010 

ALMOST 5,500 MAIL-ORDER PURCHASES 

BY SHAREHOLDERS IN 2010 

CONTACTS 

RELATIONS WITH INVESTORS AND fINANCIAL ANALYSTS 

Isabelle Posth, Director of Financial Communications 

Tel: 33 (0)4 72 18 16 40 – Fax: 33 (0)4 72 18 15 99 

e-mail: Comfin@groupeseb.com 

SHAREHOLDER RELATIONS 

Jacqueline Salaüm, Shareholder Relations Manager 

Tel: 33 (0)4 72 18 16 01 – Fax: 33 (0)4 72 18 15 98 

e-mail: actionnaires@groupeseb.com 

BP2S – CORPORATE TRUST SERVICES - GROUPE SEB SHARE SERVICE 

Tel: 33 (0)1 57 43 90 00 – Fax: 33 (0)1 55 77 34 17 

e-mail: Paris.bp2s.registered.shareholders@bnpparibas.com


2010 

EMPLOYEES: 

ALL TOGETHER 

AND DIffERENT 

OPEN TO DIVERSITY IN ALL ITS fORMS 

Groupe SEB has been promoting diversity within its workforce for 

several years, particularly in France where it is a signatory of the 

Diversity Charter. Following a diagnostic study, an action plan was 

initiated early in 2010, covering, for example: 

- Training. This aims to reinforce management training on the 

theme of diversity; in 2010, 140 managers benefited from this 

module. 

- Male-female job equality. The Group applies a policy of 

strict non-discrimination, particularly at the hiring stage. In 2010, 

it developed a programme to encourage female access to 

technical and management posts. Today, women represent 32% 

of Groupe SEB managers, for all entities. 

- Ethnic and social diversity. The Group extended its partnerships 

in this area with specialist consultants, including Mozaïk RH, 

and the equal opportunity network Nos Quartiers ont des talents. 

It set itself a target to recruit 10% of its trainees from deprived or 

immigrant communities. Temporary staff agencies were also asked 

to adopt this principle of diversity. A similar approach is being 

applied to the hiring of handicapped people. 

Canonsburg plant. 

Groupe SEB Brazil. 

CANONSBURG, A BETTER BALANCE BETWEEN WORK AND PRIVATE LIfE 

Dewayne Rideout, Director of Human Resources, Canonsburg site, USA 

“All-Clad products are manufactured at the Canonsburg plant. In 2010, in response to increased business, we hired 80 new production staff at this 

plant and introduced a three-shift system, where previously there were two. The number of overtime hours was thus significantly reduced, and overtime 

work became optional. This is in line with the Group’s values and is a follow-up of a Human Rights review we carried out in 2009 with the HRCA Quick 

Check* self-assessment tool. Plant staff are very pleased with the new arrangement which enables a better balance between work and private life. This 

development, and our close liaison with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry on job creation, earned us the title of ‘Employer of the Year’ 

in September 2010.” 



76 - 77 

ALL SUPOR AND SSEAC SITES CONDUCTED HUMAN RIGHTS SELf-ASSESSMENT 

STUDIES DESIGNED SPECIALLY fOR CHINA 


IN 2010, THE ACCIDENT fREQUENCY RATE* fOR ALL SITES WAS 5.83, COMPARED 

WITH 6.35 IN 2009, AND THE SEVERITY RATE* DROPPED fROM 0.22 TO 0.19 

IMPLEMENTATION Of THE HEALTH & SAfETY PLAN 

After an initial phase concerned mainly with accident prevention, 

the second phase of the Group’s Health & Safety plan was put 

into effect to intensify efforts aimed to prevent muscular strain 

injury (MSI). In France, every factory and logistics site set up 

an MSI steering committee and appointed one or more MSI 

specialists to ensure that these risks are taken into account at every 

level, from product design to the monitoring of high-stress workstations 

or particularly arduous tasks. All layout designers and local 

managers will be given training in this area by the end of 2011 

(250 were trained in 2010), and a special training module will 

be developed for operatives. This action plan, adapted to local 

circumstances, will be gradually extended internationally from 

2011. 

PLAYING TOGETHER, AT WORK AND AT SCHOOL 

Ouria Belaziz, CGT trade union representative for Groupe SEB in France, 

a member of the CGT Metal Industry Federal Bureau, member of the Groupe 

SEB Diversity Committee 

“In 2010, the Groupe SEB Sustainable Development department asked me to visit classes at 

the Jacques Brel Lycée in Vénissieux, in what is considered a ‘sensitive’ neighbourhood. 

I accepted so that I could explain to young people that trade union delegates are key players in 

industrial labour relations. I used the analogy of class delegates to show that whatever the 

context, school or workplace, it is important to get involved in collective issues. There was 

lively debate at these sessions about why we should be concerned about collective life – some 

students were convinced of the need to be involved, while others were less so, though none 

were indifferent. These young people have limited knowledge of the world of work. Their goal 

is to get a job and a wage. They want to make their voice heard, but they don’t have much of an 

idea of working in teams and group relations. I hope our exchanges will have helped them to 

make progress on this point.” 

ACTIVE LABOUR DIALOGUE 

Groupe SEB signed 90 collective agreements around the world in 

2010. These included two specific agreements in France. The first 

refers to the introduction of a collective retirement savings plan, 

and the second to psycho-social risks relating to stress, 

harassment or violence at work. 

fIVE MORE INDUSTRIAL 

AND LOGISTICS ENTITIES 

CERTIfIED OHSAS 

18001* IN 2010 

IN GERMANY, ITALY, 

CHINA AND BRAZIL 

Group’s brochure on avoiding 

muscular strain injury at work. 

An industrial first-aid worker 

at the Selongey site in France. * See glossary, page 84


2010 

SUPPLIERS: 

ALL COMMITTED 

SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA COUNT fOR 31% IN THE ASSESSMENT 

Of POTENTIAL GROUPE SEB SUPPLIERS 

GROUPE SEB ENCOURAGES SUPPLIER 

PROGRESS 

Carlos Muñoz, Sales Manager, 

Industrias Electroquímicas, Bogotá, Colombia 

“We carry out metal surface treatment work on blenders for Groupe SEB 

Colombia and on irons for Groupe SEB Brazil. For our family business 

of 16 people, the demands of Groupe SEB are an opportunity for us to 

make progress. For example, when they asked us in 2003 to stop using 

hexavalent chromium, we first thought this would be impossible. 

Nonetheless, we managed to develop a new process which does not use 

this substance. We emerged stronger from this experience, and can now 

offer our new technology to other clients. Today, thanks to Groupe SEB 

support, we are convinced that health & safety standards and respect for 

the environment are a ‘plus’ for our future. We are preparing to become 

certified ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 by the end 

of 2011.” 

CLEAR RULES TO RESPECT 

In the matter of working conditions, industrial suppliers in Asia and 

South America are required to fill in a labour rights statement* 

based on SA8000* standards, which the Group then monitors 

with regular on-the-spot social audits. Of the 52 social 

audits carried out in China in 2010, a single case of non-conformity 

was identified and dealt with in accordance with our procedures. 

This case concerned working hours and overtime. The 

Group immediately suspended any further collaboration pending 

corrective steps, which will be the subject of a follow-up audit. 

In the matter of environmental standards, Groupe SEB encourages 

its supplier panel to obtain ISO 14001* certification. 

In 2010, this had already been obtained by 40% of finished 

product suppliers and 35% of raw materials and components 

suppliers. For those suppliers who are not ISO certified, the Group 

requires them to fill in an environmental statement* which 

evaluates their performance in this area. 

French supplier, Aperam Stainless Europe. 

Groupe SEB uses a number of information and control measures 

to ensure that suppliers comply with its social and environmental 

requirements. For example, the principles of the Global 

Compact* and the CECED Code of Conduct* are written into our 

supplier contracts. 

Italian supplier CEME. 



78 - 79 

CIVIL SOCIETY: 

ALL INVOLVED 


67 MAJOR PROJECTS AND MORE THAN 60 LOCAL INITIATIVES BACKED BY THE GROUPE 

SEB fOUNDATION SINCE 2007 

COMBATING SOCIAL EXCLUSION Of EVERY SORT 

Groupe SEB has made the promotion of social integration a 

priority of its corporate philanthropy, which is structured around 

three key vectors of integration: employment, housing and 

education & training. While the Groupe SEB Foundation 

coordinates and develops the Group's philanthropic work, its 

social commitment is also expressed through a wide variety 

of initiatives by its subsidiaries. The Group’s philanthropic work 

involves an annual budget of some €2 million and mobilizes 

hundreds of volunteer employees around the world. 

The first Groupe SEB Foundation Volunteer 

Day, held in Ecully on 14 September 2010, 

attracted 80 participants from all over France. 

fOR MORE INfORMATION: WWW.fONDATION.GROUPESEB.COM 

For several years, Supor has been helping the ‘Schools for Hope’ project 

in China to facilitate access to education in poor regions. In 2010, it 

contributed RMB 2 million (€220,000) to the creation of two schools in 

the province of Gui Zhou, in the south of the country. Supor also helped 

to train 24 teachers for these two schools, which will be operational from 

the beginning of the new school year in 2011. 

BURUNDI: STREET CHILDREN NOW ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL 

Yvonne Matuturu, Head of the UNESCO Social and Human Sciences Programme in Bujumbura, Burundi 

“The war that devastated Burundi until early this decade put thousands of children onto the streets as orphans, separated 

from their families and forced to beg in order to survive. In 2000, we started a project to help them find their relatives or a 

foster family, and re-integrate them into the educational system. The project began with 15 children. Today, 2,700 are being 

helped, in large part thanks to the backing of the Groupe SEB Foundation since 2007. In addition to buying school supplies, 

this helps us to support foster families in creating a means of income, so that they can provide for the basic needs of the 

children, and particularly to feed them. Today, the vast majority of these children have returned to school, which for us is the 

best indicator of success.”


2010 

CIVIL SOCIETY: ALL INVOLVED 

AT THE MOOCA SITE IN SÃO PAULO, GROUPE SEB EMPLOYEES HELP 

WITH GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES fOR 32 YOUNG PEOPLE : fIVE 

YOUTHS ALREADY HIRED 

PROMOTING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY 

Committed to encouraging diversity within its own workforce, the 

Group also carries this message into the community. It does this 

in particular through educational institutions at several levels: in 

the high school classrooms of deprived areas it offers a perspective 

on the world of work; in universities and advanced institutes 

it draws the attention of potential future managers to the importance 

of respecting difference and appreciating the wealth of 

diversity. At local level, the Group’s entities participate in discussions 

on this theme – as in Burgundy, France, in November 2010 

at a get-together with young entrepreneurs from inner-city areas. 

This message in favour of diversity is fully in line with the work 

of the Groupe SEB Foundation in promoting social integration. 

ANOTHER VIEW Of HANDICAP 

Ryadh Sallem, three times European wheelchair 

basketball champion, President of the CAPSAAA 

Association (CAP Sport Art Aventure Amitié) 

“So long as we have the right tools to compensate for our handicap, we 

can perform extremely well. That is as true in sport as it is in business!” 

This is easy to believe for anyone who has seen European wheelchair 

basketball champion Ryadh Sallem in action on a court. He is also 

President of CAPSAAA, an association for the alleviation of handicap 

and for promoting awareness of handicap via sport. On the initiative of 

Groupe SEB, Ryadh Sallem hosted a meeting of Group employees in 

Lyon in April 2010. A basketball match was organized between mixed 

teams of able and handicapped players in wheelchairs. The CAPSAAA 

players also put on an exhibition match to show their talent. “Too often, 

we associate handicap with suffering and failure. The point was to get 

rid of this received idea.” That this goal was achieved was clear from 

conversations with the participants, who appreciated the experience. 

A visit to the Pont-Evêque factory 

as part of a partnership project with 

‘Sport dans la ville’. 

A basketball match between handicapped 

players and Groupe SEB employees.


80 - 81 


COMBINING THE ECONOMIC AND THE SOCIAL 

All around the world, Groupe SEB contributes to the economic 

and social fabric of the local communities where it operates. 

This is particularly true in areas where its plants have existed for 

a long time. In the United States, the All-Clad factory at Canonsburg 

has worked for the last 10 years with a local community 

organization, Life’s Work, which employs people who are mentally 

or physically challenged. It gives them the task of recycling 

metals and other one-off packaging projects. In 2010, Life’s Work 

presented All-Clad with a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for the 

quality and consistency of its support. In France in 2009, the 

Rumilly factory helped to create a local employment rehabilitation 

enterprise EIDRA, which helps people in difficulty to move back 

into regular employment. A large part of the work done by EIDRA 

involves packaging Tefal products. In 2010, the Rumilly site 

helped EIDRA to perfect its skills in several areas (industrial 

organization, production management and training) thanks to the 

participation of some 30 Groupe SEB volunteer employees. 

TAKING ACTION ON HEALTH & NUTRITION 

Being a citizen enterprise also means being concerned with social 

issues. As a specialist in meal preparation, and with long years of 

research into cooking and nutrition, Groupe SEB has a contribution 

to make in the area of nutrition and the reduction of obesity. 

As well as developing products that make it easier to cook 

healthy and tasty food, the Group participates in many joint 

projects with health professionals. Examples in 2010 included a 

survey of medical practitioners on the eating habits of the French, 

campaigns to raise patient awareness about healthy eating, 

sharing of experience with hospital nutritionists, and participation 

in symposiums on obesity. 

A DOZEN ‘YOUTH AMBASSADORS’ 

fROM fOREIGN COUNTRIES, 

SPONSORED EACH YEAR 

BY GROUPE SEB MANAGEMENT 

SO THAT UNSOLD PRODUCTS CAN BENEfIT THOSE MOST IN NEED 

Jacques-Etienne de T’Serclaes, Founder-President of ‘L’Agence du Don en Nature’ 

“The Groupe SEB Foundation is a founding partner of ‘L’Agence du Don en Nature’ [the in-kind donation agency] which was 

created in 2008. Right from the start, Groupe SEB became involved in our project to collect unsold products from companies, 

and have them redistributed to associations helping people in difficulty. These associations place their orders with our warehouse 

(which is run by a social integration company) and the products are sent to them for a nominal sum. In two years, we have 

distributed more than €5 million worth of new products which have benefited some 350,000 needy people in France. 

The Groupe SEB Foundation helped us financially from the start, and is a major donor of household products such as frying 

pans, saucepans and vacuum cleaners – more than 85,000 articles in 2010. It is also helping us to expand in the Rhône-Alpes 

area by putting us in touch with other associations which it also supports. This is an ideal partnership!”


2010 

ENVIRONMENT: 

ALL CONCERNED 

ISO 14001* CERTIfICATION OBTAINED BY THE PANEX fACTORY 

IN BRAZIL’S SÃO BERNARDO DO CAMPO, AT THE END Of 2010 

fREIGHT SERVICE PROVIDERS 

INVOLVED IN THE GROUP’S 

ECO-LOGISTICS PROCESS 

Stéphane Gautrais, Managing Director 

of DSV Air & Sea, France 

“Groupe SEB confides a large part of its maritime freight 

transport to our company. In 2010, this involved a worldwide 

traffic flow of 28,000 containers of components and 

finished products. We also handle overland transport to 

the departure port, and from the arrival port to the final 

destination. In terms of the environment, we submit a quarterly report to 

the Group on CO 2 emissions and on the progress of an action plan to bring 

down emission levels. To date, Groupe SEB is the only company based in 

France which requires worldwide reporting. We have gone to great lengths 

to calculate the emissions of different kinds of ships, using a methodology 

validated by ADEME*. We also give preference where possible to the use 

of barge or rail transport, rather than road haulage, in order to cut CO 2 

emissions for the journeys to and from sea ports (2010 emissions were down 

25% on those of 2009). We work in close collaboration with Groupe SEB 

logistics and purchasing teams to achieve these goals.” 

ECO-PRODUCTION: fACTORIES THAT CARE 

fOR THE ENVIRONMENT 

Respect for the environment has been for many years a central 

concern of all our entities, of which 78% are certified ISO 14001*. 

For the most recent arrivals into the Group, entities which are not 

yet certified are aiming to be so by the end of 2012**. The efforts 

of our factories are especially geared to cutting down on energy 

and water consumption, and to reducing waste and greenhouse 

gas emissions. 

ECO-DESIGN: SAfE PRODUCTS 

THAT RESPECT OUR PLANET 

The Group’s eco-design approach is based on precise guidelines 

applied by its innovation teams. These take account of increasingly 

strict regulations on the materials used in making products 

(European REACH* and ROHS* regulations, for example) 

and on the energy consumption of appliances. Rowenta’s Eco- 

Intelligence range is particularly efficient in terms of 

energy-saving. Groupe SEB is also developing the use of 

recycled materials, notably in cookware ranges such as 

Natura, which uses 100% recycled food-safe aluminium. 

END-Of-USE PRODUCTS: IMPROVING 

THE RECYCLING AND RE-USE NETWORK 

The collection and processing of small electrical appliances in 

Europe is managed by eco-organizations. Groupe SEB is particularly 

involved in France, where it presides Eco-Systèmes, the 

country’s main eco-organization*. Since 2010, Groupe SEB also 

participates in the VALEEE* project, which brings together 

industrial operators and research institutes with a view to 

improving the offer in recycled plastics which can be used 

in industrial processes. 

* See glossary, page 84 

** See Action Plans on www.groupeseb-devdurable.com


82 - 83 

O U R P L A N E T 

DIRECT DELIVERY TO fRENCH RETAILERS 

fROM fACTORIES AND PORTS, WITHOUT GOING 

VIA WAREHOUSES, SAVES 135,000 KM 

ECO-LOGISTICS: CUTTING CO 2 EMISSIONS RELATED 

TO TRANSPORT 

The transport of products or components is one of the main 

sources of Groupe SEB’s direct CO 2 emissions. Our eco-logistics 

policy aims to reduce these emissions by taking action at three 

levels: optimum loading of transport units, greater use of 

alternatives to road haulage (rail, waterway), and stricter ecological 

demands on our freight transport providers. 

In 2010, the unit loading rate continued to improve: the rate 

for lorries rose to 65% from 63% in 2009, and for sea-going 

containers to 86% from 85%. In terms of alternative modes 

of transport, a pilot project was carried out in France to study 

the possibility of systematic use of rail transport for containers of 

components delivered to factories. 

Groupe SEB also continued to improve the reliability of its transport 

carbon footprint in 2010, by extending the method tested in 

France with Club Demeter and ADEME* to cover international 

routes. 

PARTICIPATION IN THE 

CARBON DISCLOSURE PROJECT: 

AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION 

Of SOME 300 MAJOR COMPANIES 

WHO SHARE EXPERIENCE 

ON ACHIEVING CARBON fOOTPRINT 

CALCULATION 

SD 

SPOTLIGHT 

r 

ACTICOOK ECONOMIZES RESOURCES 

With three eco-friendly innovations and six exclusive patents, Groupe SEB’s new generation of pressure cookers, Acticook, 

scores points on saving natural resources. Its Eco Energy system eliminates up to 85% of air from the cooker (air not being 

a good conductor of heat), and so reduces cooking time. Its Eco Dose system measures the precise amount of water needed 

for each item to be cooked, and so avoids waste. Its electronic precision Eco Timer shows exactly when to turn down the heat 

source. In all, compared with a traditional pressure cooker, Acticook saves 35% in cooking time and 20% in energy.


2010 

GLOSSARY 

ACCIDENT fREQUENCY RATE: number of work accidents with 

absence, per million hours worked. 

ACCIDENT SEVERITY RATE: number of working days lost, per 

1,000 hours worked. 

ADEME: French Environment and Energy Management Agency. 

CBSSC (CHINA BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY 

CHECK): a self-assessment tool on the issue of Human Rights, 

developed by the Danish Institute for Human Rights. It is the 

equivalent of the HRCA Quick Check (below), adapted to 

circumstances in China. 

CECED: European Committee of Domestic Equipment 

Manufacturers. 

DIVERSITY CHARTER: a document which encourages French 

companies to promote diversity in their workforce and to combat 

all forms of discrimination. 

ECO-DESIGN: design which seeks to minimize the environmental 

impact of products at every stage in their life-cycle. 

ECO-ORGANIZATION: a non-profit organization accredited by 

the public authorities which carries out legal obligations on behalf 

of its members in the area of collecting and processing waste. 

ECO-PRODUCTION: manufacturing which respects the 

environment and limits potential ecological risks. 

ECO-STATEMENT: Group specifications binding on suppliers, 

which prohibit the use of hazardous substances in products and 

components. 

EffYPACK (PACKAGING SYSTEM fOR SUPPLY CHAIN 

EffICIENCY): A Groupe SEB project which aims to include 

dimension constraints in product design and packaging in order 

to optimize palette loading for transport. 

GLOBAL COMPACT: United Nations pact which promotes ten 

principles covering Human Rights, labour law, the environment 

and anti-corruption. 

HRCA QUICK CHECK: The Human Rights Compliance 

Assessment Quick Check is a self-assessment tool developed by 

the Danish Institute for Human Rights, in liaison with the United 

Nations. 

ISO 14001: International Standards Organization specifications 

for the ongoing improvement of environment management 

systems. 

LABOUR RIGHTS STATEMENT: Groupe SEB requirements 

imposed on its suppliers with regard to labour rights and working 

conditions based on SA 8000 international standards. 

OHSAS 18001: A set of international specifications for the 

ongoing improvement of industrial health & safety management 

systems. 

REACH: European regulations (Registration, Evaluation, 

Authorisation and restriction of CHemicals) which aim to ensure 

a high level of protection for public health and the environment. 

ROHS: European directive on Restriction Of Hazardous 

Substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent 

chromium in electrical and electronic equipment. 

SA 8000: A set of international corporate social accountability 

standards which control and monitor working conditions, health 

and safety, non-use of child labour and other areas. 

VALEEE: A project for the re-use of plastics recycled from Waste 

Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE), conducted by the 

Axelera chemical environmental competitive cluster, based in 

France’s Rhône-Alpes area. 

ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT: Group environmental 

conditions binding on non-ISO 14001 certified suppliers of 

components and sourced finished products.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

This document was produced by the Financial Communications department in cooperation with the Sustainable Development department. It is the fruit 

of the efforts of many members of Group staff and stakeholders whom we would like to thank for their contribution. 

We would like to thank in particular: 

• Stakeholders and those interviewed: 

• Gabriele Rizzoli, a Rowenta Intensium vacuum-cleaner user in Italy. 

• Carlos Muñoz, Sales Manager, Industrias Electroquímicas, Groupe SEB supplier based in Bogotá, Colombia. 

• Yvonne Matuturu, Head of the UNESCO Social and Human Sciences programme in Bujumbura, Burundi. 

• Ryadh Sallem, President of the CAPSAAA association. 

• Jacques-Etienne de T’Serclaes, Founder-President of l’Agence du Don en Nature. 

• Stéphane Gautrais, Managing Director of DSV Air & Sea, France. 

The number of pages in this report has been reduced to limit the consumption of paper. 

Certain information, particularly relating to sustainable development, 

has been summarized (complete information is available on our website). 

This report is printed on chlorine-free recycled paper. 

The printer is environmentally certied by (environment protection charter). 

For further information 

consult our website 

www.groupeseb.com

Groupe SEB 

Les 4 M – chemin du Petit Bois – BP 172 

69134 Écully Cedex France 

Tel: +33 (0)4 72 18 18 18 

www.groupeseb.com 

+33(0)1 56 88 11 11 - Photos: Photothèque Groupe SEB / Philippe Schuller ; Michel Mouteaux ; Cyril Coussat ; Eduardo Marino - Gamma.Eyedea - gettyimages EschCollection, Yury Kuzmin, Andrea Pistolesi, Siri Stafford - GraphicObsession AAGAMIA, Bader-Butowski, Mike Kemp - DR. Translation: Patrick Duffy.

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