🇫🇷 Foreign ownership of French brands
26.4% of the 387 French brands with a controlling owner (102) are owned by a company headquartered outside France, most often in the United States, Italy and the United Kingdom. That ranks 22 of 94 countries analysed.
Which countries own them
| Owner headquartered in | Brands | Share of foreign-owned | Bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | 19 | 18.6% | |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 13 | 12.7% | |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 11 | 10.8% | |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 10 | 9.8% | |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 7 | 6.9% | |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 7 | 6.9% | |
| 🇨🇳 China | 4 | 3.9% | |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 4 | 3.9% | |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | 3 | 2.9% | |
| 🇮🇱 Israel | 3 | 2.9% | |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 3 | 2.9% | |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 3 | 2.9% |
The remaining 11 owner countries are not shown.
Largest foreign owners
| Owner | Headquarters | French brands owned |
|---|---|---|
| Inter Parfums | 🇺🇸 United States | 4 |
| Richemont | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 4 |
| Bolton Group | 🇮🇹 Italy | 3 |
| Delta Galil | 🇮🇱 Israel | 3 |
| Mondelēz | 🇺🇸 United States | 3 |
| Nestlé | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 3 |
| Stellantis | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 3 |
| Unilever | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 3 |
| Chanel | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 2 |
| Ebro Foods | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2 |
Where foreign ownership is highest
Top-level categories with at least 5 French brands that have a controlling owner.
| Category | Brands | Foreign-owned | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet & digital | 11 | 7 | 63.6% |
| Automotive | 6 | 3 | 50% |
| Home care | 7 | 3 | 42.9% |
| Home, garden & DIY | 10 | 4 | 40% |
| Personal care & beauty | 37 | 14 | 37.8% |
| Apparel, footwear & accessories | 46 | 17 | 37% |
| Beverages | 52 | 16 | 30.8% |
| Food | 66 | 20 | 30.3% |
Examples
- AMIVAC owned by HomeToGo
- Aixam owned by Polaris
- Alaïa owned by Richemont
- Arches owned by F.I.L.A.
- Athena owned by Delta Galil
- Axe owned by Unilever
- Aéroports de la Côte d'Azur owned by Mundys
- Botot owned by Bolton Group
- Butagaz owned by DCC
- Campanile owned by Jin Jiang Hotels
- Canson owned by F.I.L.A.
- Carola owned by Spadel
How this is computed
Of 403 French brands recorded, 387 have a current controlling owner (outright or a stake of 50% or more, followed up to the ultimate parent). The other 16 are licensed, part-owned or lack a current owner and are left out. A brand is foreign-owned when that ultimate parent is headquartered in a different country from the brand's origin. Data as of . Method and ranking for all countries.
Coverage caveat. The brands tracked skew towards those held by large filing companies, so this overstates foreign ownership relative to every brand in the country. See also the France country page.