Profile Group

What Profile Group does

Groupe Profil is a France-based, privately held office supplies and equipment distributor founded in 1972 and headquartered in Allauch, operating under the legal form SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) with share capital of €161,440. The company sells directly to businesses, public administrations, artisans, merchants, and liberal professionals through a network of field sales representatives assigned to specific French departments, with no e-commerce or online payment channel — products are demonstrated on client premises, delivered, inspected, and invoiced at month-end. Its catalog spans five categories: Bureau (filing, stapling, laminating, shredding, writing instruments, adhesives), Ergonomie (ergonomic chairs, sit-stand workstations, monitor arms, footrests), Hygiène (microfiber cleaning, disinfection, odor control, pest management), Goodies (custom-branded promotional merchandise), and Cadeaux (gift selection).

The product portfolio is a curated multi-brand offering assembled through distribution partnerships with at least nine manufacturers (Penac, Kobra, Xyron, Max, Metal Bind, Opus, Plus Europe, Zebra, Alpo); the company does not develop proprietary technology or products beyond private-label assemblies. The underlying business is fundamentally a relationship-based distribution business with a stated 10,000+ client base and a value proposition anchored on personal service, product trial before purchase, and consolidated end-of-month invoicing rather than price or technology differentiation.

The company has been active for over 50 years under consistent ownership and structure, with no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, leadership changes, or international expansion. The GTM motion is exclusively sales-led through field representatives, marketing is limited to a corporate website with category information and appointment scheduling, and pricing is fully customized per quote. Given the absence of disclosed revenue, headcount outside an 11-50 band, and any technology platform, the business is best understood as a mature, niche, relationship-led B2B distributor rather than a scaling or technology-enabled entity.

Name

Profile Group

Legal name

Groupe Profil

Website

https://groupeprofil.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Groupe Profil is a France-based, privately held distributor of office supplies, ergonomic equipment, hygiene products, and custom-branded promotional merchandise, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Allauch. It sells exclusively through department-assigned field sales representatives to over 10,000 SMBs and public-administration clients, with no e-commerce channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Office Supplies Distribution

NAICS

Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42342)

SIC

Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro primary industry

General Office Supplies Retail (CRALABAA)

Keywords

• Office supplies distribution
• Ergonomic workplace solutions
• Professional hygiene products
• Promotional corporate gifts
• Direct field sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Allauch

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Office Supplies Sales: Direct sale of office supplies, stationery, ergonomic products, hygiene products, and promotional items (goodies) to businesses and administrations in France. Customers are served through a network of field sales representatives who visit client premises.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Groupe Profil is a French office supplies and equipment distributor founded in 1972, headquartered in Allauch, France. The company sells a multi-category portfolio of office supplies (filing, stapling, laminating, shredding, writing instruments), ergonomic workplace solutions (chairs, monitor arms, footrests, sit-stand desks), professional hygiene and cleaning products, and custom-branded promotional items (goodies and gifts). The entire offering is delivered through dedicated field sales representatives who visit customers on-site for product demonstrations and direct sales.

Product overview

Profile Group is an office supplies and equipment distributor founded in 1972, headquartered in Allauch, France. The company operates as a single-brand, multi-category portfolio selling directly to businesses, artisans, administrations, and professionals through a network of field representatives. Its product offering spans four main categories: Bureau (office supplies including filing, stapling, labeling, laminating, shredding, writing instruments, and adhesives), Ergonomie (ergonomic workplace solutions including chairs, monitor arms, footrests, standing desks, and desk accessories), Hygiene (professional cleaning and sanitation products including microfiber cloths, odor neutralizers, disinfectants, and insect traps), and Goodies/Cadeaux (custom-branded promotional products including pens, textiles, water bottles, and accessories). The core differentiator is a direct-sales model where representatives visit clients' premises for product demonstrations and transactions, with no online payment or advance payment required.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bureau (Office Supplies) Comprehensive range of office supplies and stationery products including filing systems, staplers, laminators, shredders, writing instruments, stamps, labeling devices, adhesives, and binding equipment, sold to businesses and public administrations in France.
• Ergonomie (Ergonomic Workplace Solutions) Ergonomic workplace solutions including office chairs, posture-correcting seat cushions, monitor arms, footrests, sit-stand desks, screen risers, cable management, copy holders, and desk accessories designed to improve employee comfort and well-being.
• Hygiène (Professional Cleaning and Sanitation) Professional cleaning and sanitation products including microfiber cloths, odor neutralizers, ecological degreasers, drain cleaners, disinfectants, air purifiers, insect traps, and UV-based pest control for office and facility hygiene.
• Goodies (Custom-Branded Promotional Products) Custom-branded promotional products including pens, textiles (T-shirts, sweatshirts, caps), water bottles, key rings, and small accessories with custom logo marking, starting at minimum order quantities (e.g., textiles from 15 pieces).
• Cadeaux (Gift Selection) Selection of gifts available to customers to choose from alongside their orders.
• Cassettes Xyron (Laminating Consumables) Consumable cassettes for Xyron laminating machines including double-sided lamination and adhesive lamination cassettes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ satisfied clients across France

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bureau Vallée: France-headquartered office supplies and stationery retailer with a multi-channel B2B and B2C model; directly comparable to Groupe Profil's core office-supplies distribution offering in the same domestic market.
• Raja: French B2B office and packaging supplies distributor; serves the same French SMB and enterprise customer base as Groupe Profil with overlapping product categories.
• Lyreco: European leader in B2B distribution of office supplies, ergonomics, and hygiene products; overlaps directly with Groupe Profil's Bureau, Ergonomie, and Hygiène categories and the field-sales B2B model.
• Manutan: Pan-European B2B distributor of workplace supplies, equipment, and consumables; comparable customer base (businesses and public administrations) and product mix to Groupe Profil.
• Emo France (SNCF-employee cooperative distributor): French office and school supplies distributor serving businesses, communities, and administrations; comparable SMB and public-sector customer focus and product categories to Groupe Profil.
• Maxi Office: French B2B office supplies distributor serving businesses and public sector; directly comparable customer segments, product mix, and direct-sales positioning to Groupe Profil.
• Viking (Office Club): European office supplies direct-delivery distributor with strong French presence; comparable B2B office-supplies catalogue and delivery model to Groupe Profil's field-sales approach.

Regional players

• Brady Corporation: European workplace safety, identification, and labeling solutions provider; overlaps with Groupe Profil's labeling, ergonomics, and hygiene adjacencies but is not a French market generalist.

Broad incumbents

• Staples: Global office supplies incumbent with French operations; competes across the same office-supply categories but at much larger scale and with a more developed omnichannel model.
• Office Depot: International office supplies retailer with French operations; broader portfolio and scale than Groupe Profil, with overlapping core office-supplies and stationery lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/groupe-profil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Profile Group