Faced with the growth race, some French companies take the opposite of the dominant model. By voluntarily reducing their size, they aim for better agility, reinforced innovation capacity and more relevant strategic refocusing. Reducing to better innovate is a marginal choice, it nevertheless begins to school among lucid leaders on the limits of continuous expansion logics.
Reduction of workforce or voluntary refocusing
At Aigle International, a French manufacturer of technical clothing, management has initiated strategic repositioning in 2020 to the premium outdoor. This refocusing was accompanied by the closure of several points of sale abroad to strengthen the investment in textile innovation and short circuits. The displayed objective: to lighten the commercial structure to favor the creation of technical products in France. This transition is part of an increased mastery logic of the production chain, hailed by the specialized press and the sustainable retail sector.
This type of strategy is based on a conviction shared by certain leaders: beyond a critical threshold, organizational complexity becomes a brake. In 2023, Frédéric Mazzella, founder of Blablacar, explained in an interview with the newspaper of the Net having suspended several projects to avoid organizational overload. The company has chosen to concentrate its teams on operational efficiency and technological synergies, rather than dispersing in an all -round diversification.
Lighten to find a capacity for experimentation
The case of French Slip illustrates a similar will. In 2021, its founder Guillaume Gibault undertook a reorganization of the brand aimed at shortening the decision circuits. The idea: to find a reactivity produced in line with the community commitment which bases the DNA of the company. This transformation made it possible to relaunch ranges co-constructed with customers and to reduce the time of placing on the market, with a tighter piloting of the offer.
In another register, the audio manufacturer Devialet has slowed its Retail development from 2019 to strengthen its R&D efforts. The company has chosen to limit the opening of new points of sale, in order to concentrate its resources on product innovation. It is in this context that the Phantom II was developed, an enclosure connected to the shorter design cycle, fully thought out internally. A refocusing that illustrates the direct link between organizational compactness and creative dynamics.
Fewer intermediaries, more useful decisions
This refocusing also involves overhaul of hierarchical models. At Alan, the health neo-assurance, the founders eliminated several intermediate levels in 2022 to organize the teams in autonomous “squads”. Inspired by the Spotify model, this structure promotes rapid experimentation of new services. It also makes it possible to maintain a direct link between developers, product and users, a key factor for a company based on the simplicity of use.
Same adaptation logic at Payfit, HR management platform. In 2023, its co -founder Firmin Zocchetto announced a 20 % reduction in the workforce in a column published by Les Échos, invoking the need for “Slow down to better build”. The refocusing aimed at consolidating the existing structure rather than expanding at all costs. This choice, assumed to be strategic, was presented as a way of preserving technological consistency and product identity.
A model still marginal, but which settles
These procedures remain in the minority, but they multiply. In parallel with these reorganizations, some firms now display an assumed refocusing posture. This is the case of Fabernovel, now integrated into OnePoint, which has redirected its priorities to projects with high impact mainly in France. This strategic inflection did not have an emergency, but in a logic of alignment between human resources and long -term ambitions.
This change of state of mind begins to influence younger marks. Slean, specializing in sustainable office furniture, has chosen to adapt its performance indicators by detaching itself from volume objectives. The management team now favors criteria for sustainability, customer satisfaction and reuse rate, in line with the transition of work models to hybrid formats. A more qualitative orientation which allowed the brand to refine its positioning.
Rethink performance indicators
This strategic turn also involves changing management tools. At Slean, management has replaced linear growth objectives with impact indicators, promoting use rather than flow. This approach made it possible to adjust the ranges and avoid overproduction, without loss of profitability. In a market where sustainability becomes a key argument, this light logic has proven to be compatible with the expectations of new principals.
Another example, the Les Les petit canons brand has preferred to limit the extension of its range to strengthen the consistency of its offer. Far from slowing down its presence in distribution, this choice allowed the brand to better enhance its transparency on the ingredients and its environmental commitments. A reasoned reduction in the offer that has strengthened its image in a market saturated with little differentiated products.
Find the direct link with creation
This dynamic also affects creative management. At Merci Handy, Louis Marty has tightened the management of projects to regain substantive consistency between the ranges. After a period of rapid expansion, he refocused the team on more readable and aligned axes with the brand’s original values. This rationalization facilitated a more direct return to marketing, with a more committed online community.
Same desire for editorial clarity at Célestin, editor of educational games. The company has slowed its international ambitions to concentrate its efforts on projects aligned with French school programs. A tightened format, simplified validation and a reduced team made it possible to launch new more targeted games, in direct contact with the needs of teachers and families.
