Retz
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Retz firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Retz
- Legal name
- SEJER
- Website
- https://editions-retz.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Retz industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Publishing
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Core Subject Textbooks (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies) (EDAGAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Teacher Editions, Lesson Plans & Classroom Resources (EDAGAAAI), Classroom Supplementary Resources (Worksheets, Games, Activities) (EDAGAHAN)
Keywords
Where Retz is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Retz business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Physical Book Sales: Sale of physical textbooks, workbooks, educational materials, and teaching guides for preschool through elementary levels. Products include student manuals, teacher guides, exercise books, and classroom materials.
- Digital/E-book Sales: Sale of digital textbooks and educational resources, including teacher digital versions (often free for adopters) and student digital licenses.
- Professional Development Training: Teacher training programs and professional development offerings in pedagogy, classroom management, and specialized educational needs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Physical textbooks and manuals |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Physical classroom materials |
| Subscription | Annual | Digital student licenses |
| Freemium | Multi-year contract | Digital teacher resources |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Retz product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Éditions Retz is a French educational publishing house that produces and sells pedagogical textbooks, student manuals, exercise books, teacher guides, classroom materials and digital teaching resources for French maternelle (preschool) and élémentaire (elementary) levels. Its portfolio covers reading methods (Lecture Piano, Calimots, CLÉO, Narramus, À l'école des albums), mathematics methods (J'apprends les maths, Les Noums, Haut les maths!, Totem), English teaching, pedagogical guides and inclusive education resources, supplemented by free companion websites (sites compagnons) for adopting teachers and accessible digital textbooks.
Product overview
Éditions Retz is a French educational publisher serving nursery (maternelle, ages 3-5), elementary (élémentaire, CP-CM2, ages 6-11), and inclusive education. Their portfolio includes core learning methods (Reading Piano, Calimots, CLÉO, Narramus for French; J'apprends les maths, Les Noums, Haut les maths!, Totem for Mathematics), pedagogical guides, theatrical plays, and parascholarly workbooks. Products span teaching methods, classroom materials, teaching guides, teacher organization tools, and workbooks for children. Key digital resources include teacher companion sites (sites compagnons) offering free downloadable materials, and the Lecture Piano+ method for students with special learning needs (Cycles 2-4, ULIS, SEGPA, RASED, UPE2A).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lecture Piano: A progressive reading method for CP, CE1, CE2 and GS levels, featuring an innovative 'piano' tool for teaching phonetics and reading skills
- CLÉO
- J'apprends les maths
- Les Noums
- Haut les maths !
- Totem
- Calimots
- Narramus
- À l'école des albums
Products and services
- Lecture Piano (GS-CP-CE1-CE2) A progressive reading method centered on a 'piano' tool for teaching grapheme-phoneme correspondences, with differentiation support and structured code instruction for CP, CE1, CE2 and GS levels. Includes student manuals, exercise books, writing books, differentiation files, reference panels, game boxes and first reading albums for primary school teachers.
- Piano GS — Pas à pas vers la lecture A step-by-step reading introduction method for Grande Section (GS) nursery students, serving as preparation for formal reading instruction in CP.
- Lecture Piano + — Manuel de l'élève Reading method adapted for students with special needs aged 8-14 years (Cycles 2, 3, 4, Segpa, ULIS, RASED, UPE2A), based on Lecture Piano principles with a less childlike design.
- À l'école des albums Reading method using illustrated albums for CP and CE1 classes, with companion teacher resources and downloadable materials.
- J'apprends les maths Mathematics learning method for CP to CM2, with student files and teacher guides, including the Picbille methodology.
- Les Noums Mathematics resource for CP and CE1, with a digital application integrated into the printed method.
- Haut les maths ! Mathematics method for CP to CM2 with student workbooks and geometry notebooks.
- Totem Mathématiques Mathematics series for CP to CM2 with exercise workbooks covering numeration and geometry.
- Calimots Reading method for CP, CE1 and CE2 aligned with 2025 curriculum programmes, including code manuals and language study workbooks.
- CLÉO — Entrée dans l'écrit Writing entry method for GS and CP-CE1 levels with materials and pedagogical guides, including adapted versions for students with specific needs.
- Le monde de Cléo French method from CE1 to 6th grade with training workbooks and memory aids.
- Narramus Storytelling and narrative comprehension method for nursery and primary schools, including GS-MS and CP-CE1 albums.
- Enseigner l'anglais à partir d'albums English teaching method using illustrated albums for CE1-CE2 and CM1-CM2 levels, with companion digital resources.
- Les Petits Cahiers Activity workbooks for children aged 6-12 to learn through fun activities, covering various subjects.
- Enseigner en maternelle Pedagogical guide for teaching in nursery school, with classroom organization and activity suggestions.
- Sites Compagnons (Teacher Companion Sites) Free companion websites for teachers providing downloadable pedagogical guides, teaching resources and supplementary materials for Retz methods, including digital resource activation.
Companies that use Retz
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Retz technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Retz partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Retz competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Hachette Éducation: Hachette Éducation is the dominant French educational publisher, operating a wide portfolio (Nathan, Bordas, Hachette, Didier) across K-12 and beyond. It overlaps with Retz on maternelle and élémentaire textbooks and ancillary resources, but at far greater scale and distribution reach.
Direct peers
- Belin Éducation: Belin Éducation publishes French K-12 textbooks, with particular strength in sciences, history, and pedagogy research. It overlaps with Retz on math/sciences instruction and competes for the same teacher-driven adoption budgets.
- Magnard: Magnard publishes French K-12 textbooks and pedagogical resources across maternelle and élémentaire, with comparable scope to Retz in core subjects and inclusive education offerings. It is a direct competitor for school adoptions and teacher guides.
- MDI (Maison des Instituteurs): MDI is a French publisher specialized in maternelle and primary-level teaching methods, closely comparable in scale and product mix to Retz. Competes directly on early-reading, early-math, and pedagogical innovation for the maternelle-élémentaire market.
- Hatier: Hatier is a long-standing French K-12 publisher with reading, math, and langues methods competing head-to-head with Retz's Lecture Piano, Calimots, and CLÉO methods. Operates inside the Hachette Livre group, offering comparable curriculum-aligned programs and digital ancillaries.
- Bordas: Bordas is a French K-12 publisher now part of Hachette Éducation, with competing textbooks, workbooks, and digital ancillaries across primary subjects. Directly competes with Retz's printed and digital classroom materials.
- Éditions Nathan: Nathan is one of France's leading K-12 educational publishers, offering competing teaching methods (reading, math, sciences) and teacher resources for maternelle through lycée. It directly competes with Retz's core textbook methods in the French school adoption market and is now part of Hachette Éducation.
Emerging players
- La Librairie des Écoles: La Librairie des Écoles is a smaller, curriculum-aligned French publisher focused on classical primary methods, often seen as a pedagogical alternative to mainstream publishers. It competes with Retz on teacher-led adoptions in the maternelle and elementary space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Retz social profiles
Digital presenceRetz financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Retz leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Retz funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Retz M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Retz
What does Retz do?
Éditions Retz is a French educational publishing house that produces and sells pedagogical textbooks, student manuals, exercise books, teacher guides, classroom materials and digital teaching resources for French maternelle (preschool) and élémentaire (elementary) levels. Its portfolio covers reading methods (Lecture Piano, Calimots, CLÉO, Narramus, À l'école des albums), mathematics methods (J'apprends les maths, Les Noums, Haut les maths!, Totem), English teaching, pedagogical guides and inclusive education resources, supplemented by free companion websites (sites compagnons) for adopting teachers and accessible digital textbooks.
Is Retz a public or private company?
Retz is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Retz founded?
Retz was founded in 1979. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Retz based?
Retz is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Retz make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Physical Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are digital/E-book Sales and professional Development Training.
Who are Retz's main competitors?
Hachette Éducation is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Belin Éducation, Magnard, MDI (Maison des Instituteurs), Hatier, Bordas and Éditions Nathan. La Librairie des Écoles is listed as an emerging player.
Does Retz have an API?
No public API is recorded for Retz.
What industry is Retz in?
Retz's product category is Educational Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAAAA, Core Subject Textbooks (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies), with a secondary code of EDAGAAAI, Teacher Editions, Lesson Plans & Classroom Resources. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 2731.