What SAMSE Group SA does

SAMSE Group SA is a France-based multi-brand distributor of construction materials and tools, headquartered in Grenoble and listed on Euronext Paris. Founded in 1920, the Group operates 23 complementary brands — including the flagship SAMSE banner, Doras, M+ Matériaux, VM Matériaux, Caréo, L'Entrepôt du Bricolage, BTP Distribution, and the FIBOPAN wood network — through more than 410 physical retail points spanning 68 French departments. It serves both B2B customers (professional builders, contractors, public-works and water-sector clients via the TP-EAU division) and B2C DIY consumers, with a stated horizontal segmentation between these two personas.

The underlying operating stack is a federation of regionally trusted brand brands held under common ownership via an external-growth acquisition model, supported by in-house proprietary IT developed under CIO Cédric Joseph (electronic invoicing for customers and suppliers, modernized e-commerce and customer service channels for the L'Entrepôt du Bricolage brand), and by a captive transport and logistics subsidiary (Schwartz). The Group employs roughly 7,000 people, of whom 65% are shareholders — an unusual employee-ownership structure that influences governance and capital allocation.

Commercially, SAMSE monetizes through transactional distribution margins on building materials, tools, wood products and plastics across the 23-brand network; specific pricing is set at the point of sale by brand, customer segment (trade vs. consumer), and order volume. Long-term capital partners include Dumont Investissement (with Laurent Chameroy, Director General, as President of its Directoire), Crédit Agricole Régions Développement, Casra Capital, and Etoile Capital. The 'Imagine 2030' strategic plan underpins current repositioning efforts, including digital transformation, the FIBOPAN wood-network consolidation (2021), and the formalized corporate foundation (established April 2018) covering housing, health/disability and children's education causes.

Name

SAMSE Group SA

Legal name

SAMSE

Website

https://groupe-samse.fr

Company type

Public

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

SAMSE Group SA is a France-based multi-brand distributor of construction materials and tools serving both professional builders and DIY consumers through 23 complementary brands and 410+ retail points across 68 departments, with 7,000 employees of whom 65% are shareholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Materials Distribution

akta.pro primary industry

Construction, Hardware & MRO Supply Clubs (Trades/Contractors) (CRAEAEAG)

Keywords

• Construction materials distribution
• Building materials supply
• DIY home improvement retail
• Timber and wood products
• Construction tools distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Grenoble

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Construction Materials Distribution: Distribution of construction materials and tools to professional builders and DIY customers through retail network. Multiple revenue streams from various product categories including building materials, tools, and related supplies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Groupe SAMSE is a French distributor of construction materials, tools, timber, wood products, plastics and DIY supplies, operating 23 enseignes through 410+ points of sale across 68 French departments. It serves both professional builders and contractors (B2B) and DIY consumers (B2C) under complementary regional and specialty brands such as SAMSE, Doras, M+ Matériaux, VM Matériaux, Plattard, BTP Distribution, L'Entrepôt du Bricolage and the FIBOPAN wood network. The group is publicly listed on the Paris Stock Exchange and employs 7,000 people.

Product overview

SAMSE Group SA operates as a multi-brand construction materials and tools distributor in France, founded in 1920 and listed on the Paris Stock Exchange. The company is organized around its core SAMSE brand plus 26 complementary sub-brands including Doras, M+ Materiaux, VM Materiaux, Careo, SIMC, L'Entrepot du Bricolage, BTP Distribution, and others. These brands serve both individual and professional customers through a network of over 410 points of sale across 68 departments. The portfolio includes specialized networks such as FIBOPAN (wood materials) and La Boite a Outils (tools/DIY). The group employs 7000 people, with 65% of employees being shareholders. The company focuses on external growth through acquisitions of complementary brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Doras: Building materials distribution brand
• M+ Materiaux
• VM Matériaux
• Caréo
• MPPI
• Ménéo
• Simc
• Plattard
• Blanc Matériaux
• Didier Matériaux
• L'Entrepôt du Bricolage
• La Boîte à Outils
• Christaud
• LNTP
• BTP Distribution
• Celestin
• Plasti Plus
• Gémoise
• Cominex
• Henry Timber
• Mauris Bois
• Socobois
• Ollier Bois
• Schwartz
• Zanon
• Sud Appro
• Fibopan

Products and services

• SAMSE (core enseigne) Core distribution enseigne and founding brand of the group, offering construction and renovation materials, tools and supplies through a network of points of sale across France to both professional builders and DIY customers.
• Doras Specialised building-materials distribution enseigne serving professional builders and contractors in its regional catchment under the SAMSE group umbrella.
• M+ Matériaux

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Handi'ChiensminorOthersAssociation supported by the Foundation for disability inclusion through assistance dog programs.
• Les Petites CantinesminorOthersNon-profit neighborhood canteen network supported by the Foundation to foster social connections.
• Association Providenti'ellesminorOthersLyon-based association fighting women's isolation and supporting reintegration, supported by Foundation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BigMat France: BigMat is a European builders' merchant network with a sizable French franchise footprint. It targets the same professional-builder and DIY renovator segments as SAMSE's brands such as Doras, M+ Matériaux and Plattard.
• Gedimat: Gedimat is a French independent builders' merchant network organized as a cooperative of regional distributors. It mirrors SAMSE's model of regional complementarity, multi-brand presence, and trade/contractor focus across France.
• Point.P (Saint-Gobain Distribution France): Point.P is the leading B2B-oriented building materials distributor in France, part of Saint-Gobain. It directly competes with SAMSE's professional-builder-focused brands (BTP Distribution, SAMSE, Doras) across overlapping regional footprints and similar contractor-customer service model.

Broad incumbents

• Leroy Merlin France: Leroy Merlin is the French leader in home improvement and DIY retail with extensive nationwide store coverage. It is a broader incumbent that competes with SAMSE's L'Entrepôt du Bricolage on the consumer DIY segment while operating a different B2B model.
• Brico Dépôt: Brico Dépôt is a French warehouse-format DIY retailer owned by Kingfisher. It competes with SAMSE's DIY brand portfolio on price-driven consumer renovation purchases and proximity-driven smaller contractor jobs.
• Compagnie de Saint-Gobain (Distribution France): Parent of Point.P, Cedeo, La Plateforme du Bâtiment and other building materials brands in France. A larger, diversified incumbent whose distribution business is the most direct competing platform to SAMSE's multi-brand model in France.
• Castorama France: Castorama, part of Kingfisher, is a major French DIY retail chain. It is a broader incumbent overlapping SAMSE's DIY consumer segment, especially L'Entrepôt du Bricolage, but is not focused on professional builders.

Regional players

• Saint-Gobain Building Distribution (Europe-wide): Saint-Gobain's distribution arm operates builder-merchant and DIY brands across multiple European countries. Comparable in multi-brand distribution strategy but operating in geographies outside France where SAMSE does not yet compete.
• Travis Perkins plc: Travis Perkins is the UK's largest builders' merchant serving professional contractors. Business model and customer mix are closely comparable to SAMSE's professional side, but it operates in a different geography (UK rather than France).

Emerging players

• ManoMano: ManoMano is a France-based online marketplace for DIY and home improvement with a strong B2B (ManoMano Pro) offering. It represents the digital-first competitive vector that is reshaping the same construction materials distribution opportunity SAMSE serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/fondationgroupesamse
• Xx.com/GroupeSamse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/groupe-samse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries26 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SAMSE Group SA