BIC - 2020 Universal Registration Document

GROUP PRESENTATION, PERSPECTIVES, AND STRATEGY

Business presentation

BIC ® POCKET LIGHTERMARKET SHARE IN VALUE IN 2019 (EXCLUDING ASIA) (BIC Estimates/In value)

70%

70%

55%

35%

World

Europe

North America (measured and unmeasured market)

Latin America

Safety and quality A Lighter contains pressurized gas placed in a reservoir. Lighters must be designed and manufactured in compliance with rigorous safety, quality, and performance requirements. International Safety Standards protect consumers from unsafe lighters. Two key standards apply to pocket lighters: international lighter safety standard ISO 9994, which sets out the basic safety requirements for a lighter. ISO 9994 is the ● benchmark in major markets such as Canada (1989), Russia (2000), Brazil (2002), Argentina (2003), Thailand (2003), Mexico (2004), South Korea (2005), South Africa (2002), the 27 members of the European Union (2006), Japan (2011), Indonesia (2011) and Turkey (2012); Child-resistant requirements. A child-resistant lighter is purposely modified to make it more difficult to operate. Under this ● standard, the basic requirement is that a lighter cannot be operated by at least 85% of children under 51 months. Child-resistant legislation is the benchmark in major countries such as the US (1994), Canada (1995), Australia (1997), New Zealand (1999), the 27 members of the European Union (2006), Japan (2011), South Korea (2012) and Mexico (2016). Low-cost lighters too often fail to comply with safety standards. Since the late 1980s, lighter models imported from Asian countries have been gaining market share. They currently account for over half of the global market (in volume). BIC defends its position in this competitive landscape and continues to advocate for enhanced lighter safety and quality. BIC ® lighters comply with stringent safety, quality, and performance requirements. For example, the gas reservoirs of BIC ® lighters are made from POM (PolyOxyMethylene), a high-performance resin with very high impact resistance. This means that BIC ® lighters contain more gas, allowing more ignitions thanks to their wall’s thinness. They are also filled with pure isobutane, which guarantees the flame’s stability throughout the lighter’s life.

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• BIC GROUP - 2020 UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT •