CAMIF
CAMIF ( Coopérative des Adhérents à la Mutuelle des Instituteurs de France ) is a group of companies in the mail order business for home furnishings, DIY and gardening supplies. It is the third largest mail order company in France.
Key figures
The turnover in 2005 amounted to 679 million euros, the profit in 2006 to 8 million euros, in 2007 to 4 million (0.7% of turnover).
In 2005 7.2 million articles were sold, over 190,000 different articles were available. In 2005, CAMIF had almost 2000 employees and 1.15 million shareholders.
history
CAMIF was founded in 1947 by Edmond Proust as a solidarity community for the inexpensive supply of necessary articles in the form of a purchasing cooperative .
Proust founded the independent mutual insurance association MAAIF (Mutuelle assurance automobile des instituteurs de France; later renamed MAIF , Mutuelle d'assurance des instituteurs de France) as early as 1934 .
In 1949, CAMIF was converted into a cooperative stock corporation (similar to a KGaA ) whose membership was reserved for teachers. In 1963, CAMIF, which previously had only a small warehouse, moved to Niort and opened its first shop there. In 1971, the first fully automated warehouse in Europe (13 hectares) was put into operation by CAMIF in Trévins de Chauray near Niort, and in 1973 a shop was opened in Toulouse.
In 1981, CAMIF was the first mail order company to use the French online service Minitel to communicate with its shareholders. In 1983, the CAMIF opened up to local authorities as customers and the first mail order catalog was published. 1985 opened a warehouse in Lille-Ronchin, 1987 a furniture warehouse in Paris.
In the same year, consumer credit was offered for the first time through the subsidiary C2C . In 1988, CAMIF opened up to partners (some health insurances, including MGEN for the public service in education) and brought out special catalogs for their members. The cooperation agreement was extended to all health insurance companies for the public sector and a catalog for municipal employees was published. Special catalogs for postal and military personnel followed in 1991.
In 1992 the delicatessen dealer Léon Fargues was taken over as well as the Franco-Swiss publisher Delachaux & Niestlé . The first fully digital catalog was also published. In 1993, CAMIF opened to members of 41 organizations from different areas of social work. The CAMIF Club was founded, which offers CAMIF shareholders special advantages. In 1994 a shop was opened in Lyon, CAMIF Magnet was founded in the Czech Republic and the agricultural products company Nicole Bernard was taken over. 1996 CAMIF participates in Savor Club (wines and spirits). In 1997 the subsidiaries CAMIF Habitat (living), which specializes in home improvement and gardening articles, and CAMIF Solidarité (for social engagement) are founded. The website www.camif.fr is launched. Further stores opened in 1998 in Marseille, 2000 in Tours and Annecy, and 2001 in Rennes. The business of CAMIF was strategically realigned. A multimedia customer contact center was set up in 2002. Another opening for the members of the cooperative CASDEN-Volksbank took place.
In 2003, CAMIF ran into financial difficulties and entered into a partnership with 3 Suisses International (3SI). The shops in Lille and Toulouse became open to all consumers, the Savor Club was sold. In order to continue the activities of Club CAMIF, the Romactis company was founded. In 2004, in accordance with the agreement with the 3SI Group (and supported by MAIF, MGEN-Krankenversicherung and CASDEN-Volksbank), the Czech subsidiary Magnet CAMIF was sold and the 3SI subsidiary Cofidis took over 66% of the capital of the CAMIF consumer credit subsidiary C2C .
A subsidiary called CAMIF Particuliers specializing in natural persons was established. Unprofitable shops were closed (Coquelles near Calais, Rouen). In September 2007 the US-financed investment fund Osiris Partners acquired a majority stake in CAMIF Particuliers, but without voting rights. In March 2008, CAMIF gave up some business activities (such as IT, video and clothing) and focused on the home and home sector (furniture, household appliances, home textiles, decoration, gardening, etc.).
At the beginning of September 2008, CAMIF, which at that time had 1,370 employees, announced the elimination of around 500 jobs. Although it had already reduced its operating costs by a quarter in two restructuring plans in 2005 and 2007, the subsidiary CAMIF Particuliers remained in financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy on October 23, 2008. On October 27, 2008, the Niort Commercial Court decided to liquidate the subsidiary. The initiation of the insolvency proceedings against the parent company was suspended for a period of six months for observation.