BIC - 2019 Universal Registration Document

GROUP PRESENTATION, PERSPECTIVES, AND STRATEGY

Strategy

STRATEGY 1.3.

BIC is a world leader in Stationery, Lighters, and Shavers. For 75 years, the Group has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable products to consumers everywhere. Through this relentless dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized consumer brands worldwide. Facing a fast-moving market environment with consumer trends changing rapidly and continuously, the Group initiated in February 2019 a transformation plan named “BIC 2022 – Invent The Future” to address these challenges. The objective of the plan is to drive long-term profitable sales growth by becoming more agile, more effective, innovation-driven, consumer-centric, and improve omnichannel distribution. The plan relies on four strategic pillars: Effectiveness: increase efficiency throughout our global ● manufacturing operations, while maintaining product Safety, Quality, and Affordability. Innovation: enhance consumer insights capabilities and ● increase the pace of innovative New Product launches. Consumer-Centric and Relevant Brands: connect and ● engage more effectively with all consumers to leverage our unique Brands, tailoring and strengthening digital communication infrastructure and embracing new shopping trends such as personalization. Omnichannel Distribution: sharpen our commercial ● operations to become a genuine omnichannel specialist, online and offline.

Throughout the year of 2019, BIC started to execute its transformation plan and put in place several initiatives to support its four strategic pillars: Effectiveness: ● the creation of a new Procurement organization with a • global scale to build a more flexible and costeffective production model while maintaining high-Quality Standards, the implementation of End-to-End planning and integrated • Sales & Operating Planning processes across the Group will enable the optimization of SKUs, logistics, and working capital. Innovation: ● the creation of a global market and Consumer Insights Team • responsible for leveraging market and Consumer Intelligence that will enable to design new products and services in line with consumers’ expectations, the recruitment of dedicated new skills and capabilities, such • as Data Analysts and Digital Marketing Specialists, to focus on the development of consumer-driven innovation, key innovative products such as BIC ® BodyMark temporary • tattoo marker, and BIC’s new brand Made For You for refillable shavers were launched in 2019. Consumer-centric Brands: ● the implementation of a Global Customer Relationship • Management (CRM) platform aimed at enhancing direct relationships with BIC consumers to accelerate growth, in 2019, various innovative marketing campaigns were • performed across all categories and geographies to drive engagement and consumer preference. Omnichannel Distribution: ● the creation of two Centers of Expertise (Commercial • Strategy & Analytics, E-Retail & Digital) to strengthen day-to-day commercial performance, go-to-market strategies, and bring new skills and capabilities to the organization, such as Advanced Analytics, Revenue Growth Management, and E-Commerce expertise, E-commerce Net Sales grew +13% in 2019, across all • channels.

31

• BIC GROUP - 2019 UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT •