Product quality and longevity: the ‘Made in France’ strategic response

Fifteen years after French manufacturing grew to become a fixture of public debate, the MIF Expo commerce present, held in Paris from November 6 to 9, as soon as once more showcases the richness of the nation’s clothes and footwear. The present opens the day after the inauguration of a Shein boutique at the BHV, and at a second when Made in France gamers appear much less shielded from market volatility.

“The Made in France market, which had previously been spared, is now under attack,” explains Luc Lesénécal, CEO of Normandy-based model Saint James, who factors to the direct results of political and financial instability in France. “I have plans to expand our workshops that have been put on hold because of a lack of clarity and political decisions,” says the Normandy-based government.

From the Cévennes, Julien Tuffery believes native manufacturing suffers as a result of the negatives are mentioned greater than the positives. “Customers who only buy Made in France account for 2% of the population. I think this share is growing, but it’s being stifled by the incredible growth in people buying shoddy clothes,” laments the head of denims model Atelier Tuffery.

For Patrick Mainguené, director of the Ardèche-based footwear model Ector, owned by the Chamatex group, the challenge goes past ultra-fast trend. “In September, I saw trainers being sold in a supermarket for €4.99,” he says. “That’s the price of our soles. Even if we sourced in Asia, we wouldn’t be able to sell at that price, once you factor in transport, shelf-stocking, storage… You can’t fight on price any more when faced with this kind of pricing, because explaining that a pair costs €120 falls on deaf ears for a large proportion of consumers.”

“It’s time to ask ourselves the real question: do we want to be a nation of passive consumers or a nation of responsible producers?” asks MIF Expo founder Fabienne Delahaye in a press launch, recalling the vow of “industrial sovereignty” championed by the Élysée in 2020.

Forget value, champion longevity

At the helm of a century-old firm with 200 staff and €70 million in income, Luc Lesénécal is alarmed by the accumulation of low-quality merchandise, the standardisation of kinds and the quick lifespan of things, that are discarded inside a 12 months. “We’ll never be competitive on price,” he says. “Some people think they can get by by halving prices, when you’d have to cut them by a factor of ten to make a difference. The strength of Made in France lies in quality and in spreading the cost over years of use, whereas fast fashion won’t last more than two washes.”

Julien Tuffery, whose 42-employee household enterprise now generates €5.2 million in turnover, concurs: “This battle for volume and low prices is lost, probably forever. But I also think it’s this mediocrity that means our battle will be won. The bigger and uglier this great machine becomes, the more room it will leave for alternative paths.”

For Patrick Mainguené, fewer clients are specializing in origin than in earlier years. “Made in France comes into play as a buying argument, but it’s not the primary one,” says the shoe producer who, after producing for main manufacturers, launched his personal in 2017, making 8,000 trainers a 12 months. “We see it clearly at MIF Expo: what makes people stop is first and foremost aesthetics and comfort. All of us, when we arrive in a shop, first look at the products we like. There’s also a notion of quality associated with French manufacturing. And that’s a point on which we must not disappoint, if we want to build loyalty.”

Materials and producers

Producing in France shortly brings you up towards the restricted alternative of native supplies. Beyond cotton, Atelier Tuffery makes use of 30% wool, in addition to linen and native hemp. “We pay very high prices for materials that we could find for a quarter of the price a little further afield. But we have no choice if we want to build a robust supply chain,” explains Julien Tuffery. “And I hope this economic moment, painful for some, won’t wipe out a decade of effort.”

Saint James, which claims to be the final premium model to provide 70% in France (the the rest coming from Portugal), is cautious to not stray from pure supplies reminiscent of wool and cotton. “In spring 2026, we’ll have our first linen Breton shirt,” reveals its CEO, proud to level out that the yarn will come from the Normandy-based “French Filature”.

“In footwear, the number of manufacturers is shrinking year by year,” stresses the head of Ector. “It’s linked to price differences across Europe, which can vary by a factor of up to three, and that unsettles the market considerably. Many French designers want to produce in France, but end up turning to Spain and Portugal, which have well-equipped factories, whereas in France we mostly have ageing, even obsolete, equipment.”

Controlled development

The trade members interviewed agree on one level: chasing the Made in France development too onerous dangers getting your fingers burnt. “Our foot is permanently on the brake; we turn down high-volume opportunities,” explains Julien Tuffery. “My real professional success will be in 30 years’ time, when I pass on the reins. But doing things well, at volume, at low prices, being sold everywhere, delivering on CSR, all that with rapid growth—it’s an equation I can’t solve, and I think it’s unsolvable.”

Even with a historical past courting again to 1889, Saint James refuses to develop too huge too quick, whereas noting 60% development over the final twelve years. “We limit our growth to 5% a year, because our production facilities have to keep up,” says its CEO, who has been investing for 3 years in modernising round 100 knitting machines. “And we need to keep a balance between export markets, because you never know when a Brexit-style shock or a US tariff might land.”

While French trend shines worldwide by its maisons, the merchandise of its native producers don’t take pleasure in the similar aura with overseas clients and distributors. “I’ve just come back from Japan, and whether it’s Made in France or Italy makes no difference to them. It brings a good dose of humility,” smiles Julien Tuffery. Patrick Mainguené tempers this: “Abroad, there’s an attraction for Made in France if it conveys heritage, as is the case with our Breton shirts and sailors’ jumpers.”

Training and public procurement

The challenges of native manufacturing are intrinsically linked to these of abilities, which have develop into scarcer since the offshoring of the 2000s. From Atelier Tuffery to Saint James by way of Ector, this pitfall is addressed by in-house coaching. At Saint James, it takes 18 to 24 months to coach somebody for a place, whereas Atelier Tuffery depends on the versatility of its staff and on a welcoming manufacturing setting, firmly breaking with the picture of the factories of yesteryear.

“People coming out of training have a basic knowledge that saves us time, but above all it’s their desire to do the job that’s decisive,” explains Patrick Mainguené. “Students spend only a short time in the workshop, and have a limited view of the industrial side. So we have to take the time to train them in-house. Without that, there’s no French manufacturing.”

Like coaching, public procurement can also be inseparable from discussions round Made in France. “In the US, 50% of contracts are reserved for American manufacturers. So we also need our public procurement to favour Made in France,” says Luc Lesénécal, who generates 5% of the firm’s income with the armed forces. “Beyond supporting reshoring, we should start by promoting those who, like us, have never offshored.”