Growth by intensive innovation : the case of Tefal

Tefal (T-Fal), a medium-sized company, works in one of the sectors most threatened by international competition and the laws of mass distribution: that of small consumer appliances. However, all of the financial and economic indicators suggest good results, with the profitability and workforce increases in the sector. How can these performances be explained? Practices, which are often informal, have been progressively built up within the company, which allow it to keep up to date with our culinary habits, while still refining its technical expertise. Blessed with managers who are also experts gifted with the ability to incessantly develop new products, the Tefal company is an atypical model of intensive innovation.