The brush market in France

The French brush market is characterized by its diversity: in terms of products, players, materials and manufacturing methods.

It encompasses several distinct categories:

Toilet brushes, for body care and beauty;

Fine brushes, which perpetuate French craftsmanship in make-up and art brushes;

Household brushes, used for domestic maintenance (floors, surfaces, crockery, etc.);

Paint brushes, including brushes and rollers, used in DIY and construction;

Industrial brushes, integrated into production lines for specific operations.

Historically based in the Oise and Jura valleys, the French brushmaking industry saw its industrial fabric eroded in the 2000s as a result of relocation, notably to China. Companies such as La Brosserie Française, a former subsidiary of the LVMH group, illustrate this trend: stricken by difficulties, it had relocated its production, before setting in motion a gradual relocation movement in recent years, driven by issues of quality, sovereignty and differentiation.

This revitalization of made-in-France products is part of a broader movement to move upmarket, embodied by brands such as La Bonne Brosse, which have succeeded in combining craftsmanship, noble materials and design to make brushes a desirable object. With sales of 100,000 units between 2021 and 2023, the brand bears witness to a growing demand for sustainable, aesthetic, responsible products - a gradual shift from a market historically dominated by functionality to a world of added value.

This shift is taking place against a backdrop of declining volumes, particularly in the hygiene and beauty departments. Toothbrushes, for example, although still massively used, saw their sales fall by -2% in volume, despite a +5.7% rise in value, essentially due to inflation. At the same time, painting remains the number-one DIY item in France, and paintbrushes are benefiting from the good health of this segment, driven by renovation work: 67.2 billion euros spent on maintenance-improvement in 2023, versus 47 billion in 2015.

However, the sector is based on a highly concentrated industrial structure. By 2024, four players will share the entire market: Vileda (25.9%), Elephant (27%), private labels (31.4%) and independent brands (15.7%). This structure reflects the weight of the major chains and buying groups, which impose tight pricing conditions and strong logistical competitiveness.

Geographically, business is equally concentrated. The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (11 companies) and Hauts-de-France (10) regions alone account for almost a third of the sector' s companies. Other regions, such as Brittany and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, have fewer than three, reflecting an uneven industrial base.

Moreover, dependence on Asian imports, particularly Chinese, remains structural: 34.9% of French brushware imports come from China. This dependence, combined with rising production costs (particularly for shaped or standing wood, transport and energy), represents a major strategic challenge for Frenchchina is also the world's leading exporter, with $6,663 million worth of exports in 2023, more than 30 times the French level.

Finally, when it comes to exports, France remains focused on Europe: its top five customers - Germany, Spain, Belgium, Italy and the UK - together account for a significant share of its outlets. This strong regional positioning illustrates the importance of the intra-European market for French brushmaking.

In short, the French brushmaking industry is at the crossroads of several dynamics: relocation, upmarket, industrial concentration, dependence on imports and pressure on volumes. While the challenges are real, there is room for maneuver: through product innovation, differentiation, and the enhancement of national know-how.