Candia is a French commercial brand of dairy products founded in 1971 and owned by the Sodiaal group.
 Logo of Candia | |
| Company type | Simplified joint-stock company (SASU) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Dairy products |
| Founded | January 19, 1971 |
| Founder | Sodiaal |
| Headquarters | 200 Rue Raymond Losserand, 75014 Paris, France |
Key people | Romain Deurbergue |
| Products | Milk, cream, butter |
| Revenue | €1,172,142,000 (2019) (2019) |
Number of employees | 1,459 (2019) |
| Parent | Sodiaal |
| Website | candia.fr |
At its inception, Candia was among the first milk brands to emerge on the French national market.[1] Since then, it has driven its growth through innovations in its field—such as UHT bottles, infant milk, cartons with caps, and fortified products—and by establishing a presence in several countries through commercial networks.
History
editCandia was launched in 1971 by the Sodima cooperative group (now Sodiaal), which also owns Yoplait. It aimed to create a national milk brand in a market that, at the time, was unbranded and dominated by fresh milk sold in glass bottles.[2] The brand name was a marketing choice inspired by the Latin word candidus (white, pure, bright, radiant), to evoke purity and freshness.[2] The name was created by the naming agency Novamark.[2]
Candia pursued an expansion strategy by introducing innovations such as UHT cartons (milk heated at Ultra High Temperature for extended shelf life), vitamin-fortified milk, plastic bottles, bottles with handles, and screw-cap bottles.[2] The brand also promoted advertising slogans like “La vie va de Candia en Candia” (“Life goes from Candia to Candia”).[2]
Candia’s growth strategy also involved establishing commercial subsidiaries in Europe (UK,[3] Benelux, Spain, and Italy)[4] and partnering with distributors in various countries. Since 1986, the brand has also developed franchises.[5][6] These franchises provide not only a brand license but also technical and marketing expertise to agri-food groups in countries where the dairy industry is still growing. As a result, Candia products are available in Africa (Algeria, Libya, Senegal,[7] Ivory Coast, Gabon, Mali, and Burkina Faso), the Middle East (Lebanon and Palestine),[8] and the Indian Ocean islands (Madagascar, Réunion, and Mauritius).[9]
From 2021 to 2024, Candia’s milk-butter-cream activities were led by Éric Forin,[10] followed by Romain Deurbergue starting in 2024.[11] The company faces challenges such as a steady decline in milk consumption and increasing competition.[12][13] During the 2010s, it halved its industrial operations and continues to restructure and resize its facilities.[13]
Production and commercialization
editCandia offers a range of fresh dairy products (milk, cream, butter, and chocolate products) and powdered milk, including infant formula.
Its products are distributed through large retail chains, franchisees, and private-label brands.[14]
As of the early 2020s, Candia employed around 1,500 people and operated from two administrative offices (Paris and Lyon), four dairies (Vienne, Lons, Awoingt, and Saint-Étienne),[15] and two butter production sites (Quimper and Clermont-Ferrand).[16]
References
edit- ^ "Candy'up de Sodiaal". LSA (in French). October 14, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Watin-Augouard, Jean (2002). "Candia". Petites histoires de marques. Editions d’Organisation. pp. 147–148. ISBN 978-2708128286.
- ^ "CANDIA LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Archived from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
- ^ "Découvrez la coopérative laitière SODIAAL" [Discover SODIAAL, the dairy cooperative]. Entremont (in French). October 17, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
- ^ Y, Samir (November 6, 2014). L'entreprise algérienne Tchin-lait: une franchise de Candia. Publications Études & Analyses. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
- ^ "Candia veut surfer sur le succès des laits pour bébés en Chine" [Candia aims to capitalize on the success of baby milks in China]. 20 Minutes (in French). 2013-07-29. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
- ^ "Découvrez Candia - Groupe Kirène" [Discover Candia - Kirène Group] (in French). June 9, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
- ^ "Candia products". www.al-tayf.ps. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
- ^ "Notre sélection". www.maurilait.com. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
- ^ Harel, Camille (July 5, 2021). "Éric Forin prend la direction générale de Candia" [Éric Forin takes over as General Manager of Candia]. LSA (in French). Retrieved August 25, 2023.
- ^ Kenigswald, Maud (June 21, 2024). "La coopérative laitière Sodiaal choisit deux anciens de Danone pour diriger Candia et la filiale Fromages" [Dairy cooperative Sodiaal chooses two former Danone employees to head Candia and its Cheese subsidiary]. Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ Girard, Laurence (November 9, 2012). "Candia veut fermer trois usines de conditionnement de lait en France" [Candia plans to close three milk packaging plants in France]. Le Monde (in French).
- ^ a b Girard, Laurence (February 2, 2022). "La coopérative laitière Sodiaal prévoit deux nouvelles fermetures d'usines" [Sodiaal dairy cooperative plans two new plant closures]. Le Monde (in French).
- ^ "Inflation: le géant du lait Sodiaal plaide la cause des marques distributeurs" [Inflation: milk giant Sodiaal pleads the case for private labels]. Les Échos (in French). March 7, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
- ^ "Journée mondiale du lait: 10 000 visiteurs dans 10 laiteries" [World Dairy Day: 10,000 visitors at 10 dairies]. www.processalimentaire.com (in French). Retrieved August 25, 2023.
- ^ DUGUEN, Rose-Marie (September 22, 2021). "Un nouveau beurre arrive dans les grandes surfaces françaises, et il n'est fabriqué qu'à Quimper" [A new butter arrives in French supermarkets, and it's made only in Quimper]. Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved September 25, 2023.
