Societe BIC
Société BIC is a French publicly-traded consumer products company that manufactures stationery, lighters, and shavers sold in more than 160 countries through mass retail and e-commerce channels, serving everyday consumer and education needs worldwide.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1945
- HeadquartersClichy, France
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Societe BIC does
Société BIC is a French publicly listed consumer products company (Euronext Paris: BICEY) founded in 1945 and headquartered in Clichy, France. The company manufactures and markets three core categories of everyday consumer goods: stationery (pens, pencils, markers, correction products), lighters, and shavers. Iconic heritage products include the BIC CRISTAL ballpoint pen (75 years) and the BIC M10 lighter (70 years), both among the most recognized consumer goods globally. BIC's portfolio has expanded through acquisitions to include sub-brands such as BIC Kids (children's stationery), BIC Graphic (promotional products), Wite-Out and Tipp-Ex (correction products), Intensity (premium stationery), Djeep (lighters), BIC Soleil (women's razors), Tangle Teezer (hair brushes), AMI (technology), and the connected-notebook brand Rocketbook.
BIC sells through both direct e-commerce channels (bic.com and regional sites) and an extensive physical retail network spanning mass merchants, office supply stores, convenience stores, and drugstores in more than 160 countries. The revenue model is hardware sales at low unit prices across large volume — essentially a mass-market, high-turnover disposable goods model. The company serves general consumers (students, office workers, everyday users) and the education vertical through institutional programs. Manufacturing is built around cost-efficient, large-scale production processes that underpin the company's affordability positioning.
The company is publicly listed and is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indices, with the Bich family maintaining significant board presence (Édouard Bich as Chair of the Board, Geoffroy Bich as Director). In September 2025, Rob Versloot was appointed CEO, succeeding prior leadership. BIC has executed multiple acquisitions across its history, including Norwood Promotional Products ($125M, 2009), Rocketbook ($40M, 2020), and the addition of Tangle Teezer for portfolio diversification. The company operates AMI as a technology sub-brand and Rocketbook as a digital writing platform, signaling selective diversification beyond traditional disposables into connected and digital product categories.
Societe BIC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Societe BIC
- Legal name
- BIC SA
- Website
- https://bicworld.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1945
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Société BIC is a French publicly-traded consumer products company that manufactures stationery, lighters, and shavers sold in more than 160 countries through mass retail and e-commerce channels, serving everyday consumer and education needs worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Societe BIC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Stationery, Lighters and Shavers
- NAICS
- Office Supplies and Stationery Retailers (459410), Office Supplies, Stationery, and Gift Retailers (4594)
- SIC
- Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950), Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Calendars, Planners & Organization Supplies Retail (CRALABAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Office, Stationery & Craft Supplies DTC (CRAFACAL), Seasonal & Holiday Craft Supplies Retail (CRALACAI)
Keywords
Where Societe BIC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Clichy
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Societe BIC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Stationery Products: Sale of pens, pencils, markers, correction products, and other writing instruments through retail and e-commerce channels globally.
- Lighters: Sale of disposable and refillable lighters under the BIC brand, including the iconic BIC lighter and Djeep brand.
- Shavers and Grooming Products: Sale of disposable razors, shavers, and grooming products including the new Flex 5 Trim and Shave 2-in-1 device.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Societe BIC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Société BIC designs, manufactures and sells affordable consumer products in three categories: Stationery (ballpoint pens, mechanical pencils, markers and correction products), Lighters (pocket and utility disposable lighters), and Shavers (single-use and reusable razors). Products are sold under the BIC brand globally through mass-market retailers, distributors, and e-commerce.
Product overview
BIC is a world leader in consumer products, operating three core product categories: stationery, lighters, and shavers. The company offers a diverse portfolio spanning both its own BIC-branded products and acquired brands including BIC Kids (children's stationery), BIC Graphic (promotional products), Wite-Out and Tipp-Ex (correction products), Intensity (premium stationery), Djeep (premium lighters), BIC Soleil (women's razors), Tangle Teezer (hairbrushes), and AMI (technology). The products are sold in over 160 countries worldwide through various brand-specific websites and retail channels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BIC: Core brand for stationery, lighters, and shavers products
- BIC Kids
- BIC Graphic
- Lucky
- Wite-Out
- Tipp-Ex
- BIC Soleil
- Intensity
- Djeep
- AMI
- Tangle Teezer
Products and services
- BIC Stationery Mass-market writing instruments and correction products, including iconic ballpoint pens (e.g., BIC Cristal range), mechanical pencils, markers, highlighters and correction fluids/tapes, sold to everyday consumers, students, offices and retail buyers worldwide.
- BIC Lighters Disposable pocket lighters and multi-purpose (utility) lighters with child-resistant mechanisms, sold primarily through retail and convenience/tobacco channels to general consumers.
- BIC Shavers Single-use and reusable men's and women's razors and shaving systems, distributed through grocery, drugstore/pharmacy, and mass-market channels to general consumers.
Companies that use Societe BIC
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Societe BIC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Societe BIC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Societe BIC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Edgewell Personal Care (Schick): Owner of Schick, Wilkinson Sword, and Personna razor brands; direct competitor to BIC Soleil in the disposable and refillable shaving category.
- Pilot Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of pens, markers, and stationery products with strong global distribution and comparable GTM through retail and DTC channels. Direct competitor in ballpoint, gel, and rollerball pens.
- Faber-Castell: Global manufacturer of writing instruments, art supplies, and stationery with comparable mass-market and premium product tiers (pens, pencils, markers). Most direct comparable in core stationery category.
- Staedtler: German manufacturer of writing, coloring, and drawing instruments with comparable product range across stationery, art, and office supplies. Direct peer in core stationery manufacturing.
- Zippo Manufacturing: Iconic American lighter manufacturer with comparable brand-led, durable-goods model. Direct competitor to BIC M10 and Djeep in the lighter category.
- Dixon Ticonderoga: U.S. manufacturer of pencils and writing instruments (Ticonderoga, Prang, Dixon) with comparable school-channel distribution and category overlap in pencils and art supplies.
Broad incumbents
- Newell Brands: Diversified consumer goods conglomerate owning Sharpie, Paper Mate, Parker, and RazorWrite — direct portfolio overlap in writing instruments and adjacent categories like lighters and grooming.
- Procter & Gamble (Gillette): Mass-market razor giant and dominant competitor in BIC's shaving category, with substantially larger R&D and marketing spend defining category dynamics.
Emerging players
- Crayola (Hallmark Cards): Leading art and coloring products brand with strong education-channel presence. Adjacent competitor to BIC Kids and BIC stationery in school/arts-and-crafts retail.
- Dollar Shave Club: DTC disruptor in men's grooming and razors, representative of the digital-native competition threatening BIC's disposable razor economics and channel model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Societe BIC social profiles
Digital presenceSociete BIC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Societe BIC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Societe BIC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Societe BIC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A6 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Societe BIC
What does Societe BIC do?
Société BIC designs, manufactures and sells affordable consumer products in three categories: Stationery (ballpoint pens, mechanical pencils, markers and correction products), Lighters (pocket and utility disposable lighters), and Shavers (single-use and reusable razors). Products are sold under the BIC brand globally through mass-market retailers, distributors, and e-commerce.
Is Societe BIC a public or private company?
Societe BIC is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Societe BIC founded?
Societe BIC was founded in 1945. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Societe BIC based?
Societe BIC is headquartered in Clichy, France, in the Europe region.
How does Societe BIC make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Stationery Products are the primary driver. The others are lighters and shavers and Grooming Products.
Who are Societe BIC's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Edgewell Personal Care (Schick), Pilot Corporation, Faber-Castell, Staedtler, Zippo Manufacturing and Dixon Ticonderoga. Broad incumbents are Newell Brands and Procter & Gamble (Gillette). Emerging players are Crayola (Hallmark Cards) and Dollar Shave Club.
Does Societe BIC have an API?
No public API is recorded for Societe BIC.
What industry is Societe BIC in?
Societe BIC's product category is Consumer Stationery, Lighters and Shavers. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALABAJ, Calendars, Planners & Organization Supplies Retail, with a secondary code of CRAFACAL, Office, Stationery & Craft Supplies DTC. Its NAICS code is 459410 and its SIC code is 3950.