Why MON PAIN bakeries are successful in England,

(here this case study is a fictional one)

QUESTIONS Please, after reading the case of MY PAIN bakeries, answer directly the following two questions. Do not hesitate to use the appropriate matrices, diagrams and tables.

1/ What are the analytical tools to be used to assess the competitive intensity in this market? Apply these tools to the case of MY PAIN in England?

2/ What are the strategies (generic, internationalization, growth and cooperation) chosen by the French company in this market? What are the main characteristics of these strategies? How did the company's strategic choices evolve between 2000 and 2002?

In 2020, the family company MON PAIN - founded in 1860 - has 600 bakeries in 40 countries. Its international development is mainly based on franchise agreements. The case of the British market is particularly interesting because the French 'baker' had a difficult start in London. He had to adapt his concept and management to English habits.

The Kinslley family, owners of the company, experienced many failures before succeeding in England. The first store, set up in a shopping center in 1999, was not a success. The next one, in the center of London, also had very strong difficulties.

As in France, the French store insisted on selling fresh bread, which the English don't eat. "For months, we sold an average of just 15 baguettes a day," recalls Carl Kinslley, the managing director and grandson of the brand's founder. He admits: "It took two years to understand the market" in London.

Through stubbornness, the family finally found the right recipe to break into England in 2003. Even if the slogan is "delegate of French elegance", they had to adapt their marketing, logistics and staff management to better fit British customs. As a result, the company now has several dozen bakeries in London.

Its baguette sandwiches have become a must-have, copied by local competitors (Prt Manger, Press, Caff Nero, etc.). To convince the English to adopt his French bread, Carl Kinslley canvassed the most luxurious hotels and restaurants in London himself. Until, in 2012, he became the supplier of the prestigious Savoy Hotel and the two oldest restaurants in the British capital, the Wiltons and the Ru. Since then, the buzz has taken over. Time Out magazine, a reference on the other side of the Channel, has awarded the brand a star.

But MON PAIN managed to sell its baguettes to Londoners by first agreeing to rethink the product offering. While there are only eighteen types of sandwiches in France, London bakeries have about thirty. English specialties such as crayfish or bacon sandwiches, a staple of the English breakfast, have been added to the French ham and butter. Moreover, as a large part of the British population is vegetarian, MON PAIN has expanded its range of soups and salads.

The range of cakes and pastries has been expanded, and now includes, in addition to tarts Tatin and clairs, typically English pastries such as banofee cream puffs (with banana and caramel). Finally, the hot drinks, very popular with the English, were given special attention. Mocha, latte and cappuccino are the most sold products in London stores. As part of their tea time routine, they also offer seven different types of tea in iced versions.

The English take their lunch break at a fast pace? To speed up order-taking, MON PAIN has installed a self-service section for drinks and non-fragile preparations in its outlets located in the business districts.

At the same time, MON PAIN has given up equipping its stores with bakeries, as it does in France, and has resigned itself to supplying the outlets from a gigantic bakery built on the outskirts of London. The reason?" Our first bakery had a bakery, but as soon as a little flour flew out of the truck that delivered it, the neighbors complained quite violently. It was unbearable," says Carl Kinslley. Without the assistance of UKTI, the British government agency responsible for helping foreign investors set up shop in the United Kingdom, there would have been even more setbacks. "For example, they helped us to get the health authorities to admit from the start that no, the use of linen sheets for lifting bread did not poison the customers.

And that no, the wooden shovels for loading bread would not cause a replica of the great fire of 1666," says the owner. UKTI also made MON PAIN aware of the local business culture. "Here, the motto is 'give back to the community': companies must give back to the community what the community gives to them," says the CEO. The French group has thus chosen to commit itself to veterans and public hospitals.

Finding real bakers was no easy task in the land of industrial bread. MON PAIN was therefore obliged to train staff. On the management side, however, it was the English who set the pace. During a visit to our bakery," recalls Carl Kinslley, "I reacted like many French bosses do when they are not happy: with a good rant."

The next day, all the British employees had resigned..." with critical comments on the Internet. Since then, the general manager has played the Anglo-Saxon management card to the hilt, even though half of the employees come from France (a third are British, the rest are from other countries). Customers are invited to give their comments on the website, which entitles them to a free croissant. These appreciations allow MON PAIN to designate the employee of the month and to reward the deserving staff. Each complimented employee receives a voucher for online music. But above all, these feedbacks allow the company to better respond to customers' wishes and to adjust the menu or the concept if necessary.