Why don’t we make most of our products in France?

Over the last few years, many of you have asked us the same questions:

“When will you start to make your products in France? You claim to be ‘green’ but why are your clothes made on the other side of the world?”

The goal of the following explanation is not to demonstrate that our approach is better than another, but to be completely transparent about our manufacturing and distribution model, including the associated limitations and opportunities. We will also explain how we are able to make a very specific category of products in France.

Let’s start from the beginning

Since the brand’s creation in 2008, Picture has always sought to make responsible purchasing affordable. We want to reach as many people as possible, especially a large part of the general public that is not actively engaged in the environmental movement.To make responsible purchasing affordable and the standard, we need to price our products within the range of what the market considers “the norm.”To compare to other markets, there are hybrid or electric cars in the automobile industry but as along as they continue to be more expensive than gas- fueled cars, we cannot really claim that this “responsible” automobile purchase is affordable. Then, green vehicles will remain a niche market, only available to those with money.The garment industry is in exactly the same situation. At Picture, we want an eco-designed jacket to cost the consumer the same amount as a regular jacket.

With this premise as our starting point, what can we do to make a responsible purchase affordable?

When we launched the brand, our distribution strategy was to work with independent shops and be viewed as an alternative to the major boardsports brands.The culture and history of our industry (ski, snowboard, surf, and skateboard) have a strong and direct link to physical stores and online shops; they build the actual coonection between brands and the end consumer.These shops have long played an important role in the local economy and represent thousands of jobs in France and abroad. They maintain a close relationship with the consumer by providing advice and a quality service, as well as by participating in the local scene.

A new player in the action outdoor sports market in France and worldwide

Picture’s chosen distribution model allows the brand to position itself as a new leading player in the action outdoor sports market both in France and worldwide. In addition, our new designs and history combined with an environmentally-friendly approach have allowed independent shops to renew their product offering and to grow alongside us, posting an almost 100% sell-out rate of our products.In France, Snowleader is a great example. Created in 2008, this online shop specializes in action outdoor sports and now employs 150 people in the Northern French Alps. Picture employs 100 people in its Clermont and Annecy offices.

These two success stories exist by choosing to manufacture our products abroad, primarily in Turkey and China.

Since labor costs are lower in both countries, we are able to – not always easily – purchase a finished product from a supplier, sell it to a retailer, who then sells it to you at a price similar to our competitors.In the process, we use eco-friendly, responsible materials while working with factories that practice fair labor.

Using a simple product as an example

A Picture t-shirt is made entirely with organic cotton. The cotton comes from Söke, a small village in Turkey. The finished product is made 100 km away in Izmir.We purchase the t-shirt for €7 from our supplier in Turkey, sell it for €12.50 to retailers, who then sell it to you, the end consumer, for €30 to €33, VAT included.The factory in Turkey that makes the t-shirt is our partner, Seyfeli, a model in Turkey for its labor practices. Picture started working with them right from the start in 2008.We consider €30 to €33, VAT included, to be a fair price for a cotton t-shirt and similar to other brands in the industry who, for the most part, do not use environmentally-responsible materials. This price allows retailers and Picture to grow in spite of our respective costs: rent, salaries, taxes, customs duties, R&D in France, logistic, and operational costs. In addition, the 20% VAT in France has a considerable influence on our approach.The current “norm” is to use regular cotton and pay 30% less; however, this is not in line with our commitment to the environment.

To sum up: 80% of a t-shirt’s value benefits the local economy.

And what if we made a t-shirt in France while keeping the same distribution model?

In every case, we would need to source the raw materials outside of France: most of the world’s cotton growers are in India, China, and the United States. Cotton farming does not really exist in France. Once the cotton in hand, we would then be able to spin, weave, dye, and make the product in France.The cost of labor in France is much higher than in Turkey or China, which means that we would purchase the t-shirt from the manufacturer for €20-€25, sell it for €30-€35 to the retailer, who would then sell it to you for €70-€75 VAT included.Only a very small number of people would be willing to pay such a high price for a t-shirt. We would stray from our goal to make responsible purchasing affordable.

What would happen if we sold this Made in France t-shirt directly to the end consumer (without a going through a shop or retailer)?

We would buy the Made in France t-shirt for the same price (€15-€20), and once we add our margin, we could sell the t-shirt at a reasonable price.This is the chosen model for several French brands, such as Hopaal and 1083.

Where would Picture be if we had made this choice from the start?

It’s impossible to say. We think that we would only be a minor player in the boardsports clothing market, since the brand would not be present in the shops that represent the foundation of the industry and where (whether a physical or online shop) consumers go to purchase and enjoy a unique experience, one important to our market.To conclude, we would have probably been successful in France, our home market, but not beyond. The chosen distribution model is vital to understanding where a product is made. This is a conscious choice.

However, we do make products in France in certain specific cases

For example, our neck gaiters are made at the Boldoduc factory in Lyon, France. The polyester is sourced in Italy.The time it takes a person to actually make a neck gaiter is quick, just 2 minutes. Add to that the time it takes to cut the material, print the motif, prepare the labels, and then package it. This allows us to sell the product at a reasonable price.We prefer to make the product in France in this specific case, but this also means that we use conventional polyester and not polyester derived from recycled plastic bottles (the fabric that we use for neck gaiters is not available in Europe in recycled polyester).Production for the Picture neck gaiter at the Cenyo factory in Chatillon-en-Michaille, France.

Let’s address other remarks we hear quite often

“You claim to be environmentally responsible, but you manufacture your garments on the other side of the world.”

This represents one of the challenges that international brands face. The “other side of the world” ends up being relative when you take the Asian and Oceanic markets into consideration, markets that have a lot of potential for Picture. A garment made in China that is sold in Japan makes sense to us.What if we made all of our products in France and then sold them in Japan? Wouldn’t it be legitimate for the Japanese to claim that our products are made on the other side of the world?

Actually, it is not as simple as that, and quite counter-intuitive.

This way to make it all clear:

To conclude, here is a list of our current initiatives that justify the brand’s environmentally and socially responsible position while manufacturing most if its products outside of France:

• Using environmentally friendly and responsible materials (organic cotton, recycled polyester, bio-sourced polyester, reconditioned materials)

• Dying processes that reduce energy and water consumption

• A durable water repellent finish free of toxic chemicals

• Certifications to back up the first three bullet points

• A complete and thorough understanding of our supply chain, from raw materials to the finished product

• Long-term relationships with our suppliers and partnering with the Fair Wear Foundation to continuously improve workplace conditions for labor

• Shipping only by boat to transport products to our warehouses, we never use air freight

• A packaging policy to reduce our use of polybags as much as possible

We hope that this article provides you with a clear understanding of our approach, why we make most of our products outside France, and the resources required to make our garments in our home country. Nevertheless, we very much admire French brands who contribute to giving French factories a new start.