Innovation: personalization on the way to democratization

Innovation: personalization on the way to democratization

FigureSource: Shopadvizor

Personalization has been adopted by a number of major brands, particularly in health and beauty, in sports and even in the automobile industry. The interest is to offer original products, if not really unique, that better meet the specific demands of customers, particularly in personal care, and allow them to stand out from the crowd.

Thus, during CES 2020, L'Oréal presented Perso, a connected object allowing you to formulate lipsticks and other care creams yourself, taking into account the specificities of the skin and data related to the environment. Its marketing is scheduled for the end of 2021, but the group is already launching its version for Yves Saint Laurent on the American market, with Rouge Sur Mesure by Perso.

The same is true at L'Occitane, where the start-up Duolab has developed personalized facial treatments which are currently being launched in Great Britain. Or at Nivea, which has been offering its Skin Guide web-app solution since mid-December 2020 for personalized coaching. "Since its launch, there have been 14,000 skin diary entries, 94,000 scans of the app and 153,000 sessions on the web," says the brand.

This trend has spread to food products. As early as 2014, Coca-Cola launched bottles bearing first names, from a catalog of 500,000.

Tailor-made croquettes

But thanks to the development of digital processes, personalization is no longer the prerogative of big brands. We have seen this for several years in digital photography, with a multitude of platforms offering the personalized edition of family albums, travel books or calendars.

It is also personalization that is at the origin of the creation in 2018 of the start-up Japhy in the pet food sector. "It's an innovation that exists in the United States or Great Britain, but which is not yet very developed in France", explains Thomas Chabrier, co-founder of Japhy with François Puigsarbé. After two fundraisers, Japhy successfully entered this niche. Thanks to the exploitation of personalized data for each dog, it offers adapted kibble recipes. Discreet about its turnover (the average basket is €63) and the exact number of its subscribers (more than 15,000), Japhy has shaken up this market monopolized by Mars Petcare and Royal Canin. And she is now launching into cat food and other cat food.

Innovation: la personnalisation en voie de démocratisation

For its part, the Nantes-based toy brand Les Mini Mondes, very committed to eco-design issues, called on 3D printing and Kimya (a subsidiary of Armor) to design a spare wheel for its famous van, personalized with the child's first name. “We are working on the creation of other accessories thanks to the potential offered by 3D printing, without having to create and have molds made for larger series. This makes it possible to respond to an increasingly specific demand without degrading our carbon footprint,” assures Quentin Ory, co-founder of Mini Mondes.

Multiply outlets

The potential of digital technology has also made it possible to save and develop the know-how proven over twenty years at Atelier Katanga in Toulouse. "While he had solid expertise in textile personalization, he was in great difficulty when I bought him five years ago, with €200,000 in losses for €600,000 in turnover, explains Thibault Lavielle. , its 32-year-old CEO. Our 2020 turnover reached 4.6 million euros (+91% versus 2019) and the company is profitable. I invested heavily in developing the production tool, which is now sized to produce 4,000 pieces per day of printed-on-demand items, 10,000 pieces in screen printing and up to 300 pieces in embroidery”. The Toulouse SME, which now has 30 employees, has developed its outlets. In B to C, on the one hand, with its Leroidutshirt marketplace and its 9 brands (We are family, La petite tribu, Le fabulous shaman…). In B to B, on the other hand, for personalized work clothes (Mie de Pain franchises, Casino, Thales, etc.) and ready-to-wear for student associations (via the luniforme.fr website). And finally with a complete package ranging from assistance in the creation of brands to the production and distribution of products: “We receive 150 to 200 requests per week! »

Faced with the expansion of its activity, Atelier Katanga will transfer and double its site in Cornebarrieu (31) by the beginning of 2022 and acquire a fleet of 20 digital printing machines, compared to 7 currently. It produces personalized textiles but also mugs on demand, “a booming market with the end of plastic cups. We currently produce more than 1,500 a day,” rejoices Thibault Lavielle.

The promisesDedicated petfoodThe DNVB Japhy sells personalized petfood for dogs on subscription. Once the characteristics (breed, age, weight, food tastes, etc.) have been entered, the customer composes his recipe, with the name of the dog written on the packages delivered to his home. Made in France, the croquettes are made with natural ingredients, free of GMOs, gluten, added sugars, colorings or emulsifiers. The Van des Mini Mondes Since the end of 2020, the Nantes toy startup Les Mini Mondes has been offering customization on demand. Thanks to 3D printing, customers can write their child's first name on the spare wheel (€9.90, choice of two colours) of his famous van (box of 42 pieces including 4 figurines for €49.90 €). It launches mini-series of 50 to 60 orders every quarter. Tailor-made clothing Based in Toulouse, Atelier Katanga (30 employees and production capacity of 10,000 pieces/day) offers the customization of ready-to-wear both in B to C (via its leroidutshirt.fr marketplace), B to B, in particular for work clothes (franchisees and companies via katanga.fr) and students (luniforme.fr), and by supporting creators of textile brands, a booming market.