CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE is a French professional training and consulting firm, founded in 2021 by Michel MEKDOUD, delivering retail customer experience, merchandising, and commercial optimization training to TPE/PME and large retail chains including IKEA stores across France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersSannois, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE does
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE SAS is a privately held French professional training and consulting firm founded in 2021 by Michel MEKDOUD and headquartered at 5 allée des tilleuls, 95110 Sannois, France. The company delivers individual, inter-enterprise, and intra-enterprise training programs across four core modules — Expérience et Parcours Client, Optimisation Commerciale, Management Commercial, and Merchandising Points de Vente — with supporting consulting services including audits, mystery client visits, and bespoke concept creation. Its go-to-market targets small and medium enterprises (TPE/PME) as well as large retail chains, with operational delivery at the client's commercial space.
The firm's value proposition rests on the founder's dual credentials as an interior architect (Académie Charpentier, Paris) and a specialist in Quality-Safety-Environment management (EISTI/CY-TECH), combined with 29 years of retail experience including extensive tenure at IKEA where he completed 26 customer journey projects. Approximately 10 IKEA stores across France, the Netherlands, and Belgium serve as the principal client base, supplemented by engagements with BOTANIC, AXA, SAKU SAKU Paris, and VISIONS FOR LEADERS. The firm operates with 1-10 employees and founder-delivered services.
Revenue is generated through quote-based training fees, with a disclosed starting price of 1,497 EUR HT for the Customer Experience module (1 day, 7 hours). The company supports OPCO financing for eligible clients and is pursuing QUALIOPI certification to formalize this access. Distribution is direct, combining content marketing via the company blog and the founder's LinkedIn presence with personal outreach and phone follow-up. No proprietary technology platform, AI capabilities, or third-party distribution channels are used.
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE
- Legal name
- CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE SAS
- Website
- https://closethegapandmore.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE is a French professional training and consulting firm, founded in 2021 by Michel MEKDOUD, delivering retail customer experience, merchandising, and commercial optimization training to TPE/PME and large retail chains including IKEA stores across France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Training and Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Negotiation & Closing Skills (EDABABAE)
Keywords
Where CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sannois
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Professional Training Services: CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE designs, develops, and delivers individual, inter-enterprise, and intra-enterprise training programs in retail customer experience, commercial optimization, store merchandising, and commercial team management. Revenue is generated through course fees charged per training module or program. Pricing is quote-based, with tariffs starting at 1,497 EUR HT for the customer experience module. OPCO (professional training funding bodies) financing is supported. Payment is due upon receipt of invoice, at the end of the training.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Customer Experience and Customer Journey training module |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE is a French professional training and consulting firm that designs, develops, and delivers operational training programs in customer experience, customer journey design, commercial optimization, visual merchandising, and commercial team management. Services are offered in individual, inter-enterprise, and intra-enterprise formats, delivered in-person at client retail and service locations or remotely across French-speaking markets. The firm also provides consulting services including audits, mystery client visits, concept creation, and bespoke training program design.
Product overview
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE est un organisme de formation professionnelle dirigé par Michel MEKDOUD, proposant une offre structurée autour de 4 modules de formation retail : Expérience et Parcours Client, Optimisation Commerciale, Management Commercial, et Merchandising Points de Vente. Ces formations opérationnelles permettent aux entreprises d'améliorer le parcours client et l'expérience en magasin pour développer leur chiffre d'affaires. L'offre inclut également des services de conseil (audits, client mystère, visite mystère) et la création de programmes de formation sur mesure. L'ensemble est positionné pour les TPE et PME francophones souhaitant optimiser leur efficacité commerciale sur le terrain.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Customer Experience and Customer Journey Training (Expérience et Parcours Client) Operational training program focused on improving the customer journey and customer experience within commercial spaces; includes concept creation, audits, mystery client evaluations, and training. Delivered to retail and service businesses across France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Starting price: 1,497 EUR HT per module (1 day, 7 hours).
- Commercial Optimization Training (Optimisation Commerciale) Training program designed to improve the commercial efficiency of businesses or employees in selling products or services, including store design and commercial strategy components. Targeted at retail and service-sector businesses.
- Commercial Management Training (Management Commercial) Training focused on developing management competencies and creating an environment conducive to the collective success of commercial teams. Targeted at managers of retail and commercial teams.
- Retail Point-of-Sale Merchandising Training (Merchandising Points de Vente) Training on visual presentations to showcase products and services in order to stimulate sales and create a welcoming atmosphere. Targeted at retail floor staff and visual merchandising teams.
- Consulting Services (Audits, Mystery Client, Mystery Visit) Consulting engagements covering audits, mystery client visits, mystery visits, concept creation, and execution of partial or complete retail projects. Delivered to retail and service businesses seeking diagnostic and design support beyond standard training.
- Custom Training Programs (Programmes de Formation sur Mesure) Bespoke training program design adapted to the client's professional environment, with personalized facilitation. Delivered as intra-enterprise training for individual client organizations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 40% revenue growth achieved for SAKU SAKU Paris at Foire de Paris following a custom trade show stand design
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Afnor (Groupe AFNOR): Afnor is the French national standards body and a major certification/training provider, including quality management and operational excellence training. Comparable because it serves the same French professional training buyer with accreditation-backed programs, though much broader and larger.
- Bureau Veritas (Training): Bureau Veritas offers training and certification services alongside its core testing/inspection business, including operational quality and management training. Comparable as a French-headquartered training provider serving enterprise clients, though much broader and larger than CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE.
- Cegos: Cegos is France's largest corporate training organization, offering multi-topic professional development programs across leadership, sales, and management. It is comparable to CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE's category (professional training) but operates at a much broader, multi-subject scale rather than as a retail-specific specialist.
Direct peers
- Décitre Formation (formerly EFE): Décitre Formation is a French professional training organization offering catalog and customized intra/inter-enterprise training programs across management, commerce, and retail. Comparable to CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE as a France-based professional training provider with OPCO-eligible programs.
- Retail Consulting Group (RCG): Retail Consulting Group is an international retail consulting firm helping retailers with store concepts, customer experience, and operational performance. Comparable to CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE as a retail-specialist consulting firm, though typically serving larger retail clients.
- IFG Executive Education: IFG (now part of IGensia Group) is a French executive education and corporate training provider. Comparable to CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE in category (professional training) and target market (French enterprise/SMB), though focused on executive-level rather than in-store retail training.
- Daylium: Daylium is a French consulting firm specializing in customer experience, retail performance, and operational excellence. Comparable to CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE in scope (retail CX, merchandising, sales performance) and target market (TPE/PME retailers in France).
Others
- ManpowerGroup France: ManpowerGroup France provides workforce solutions including training and upskilling. Comparable because it sells training services to French enterprises, though training is bundled with staffing and broader HR services rather than being a focused retail specialty.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE social profiles
Digital presenceCLOSE THE GAP AND MORE compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE 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 CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE
What does CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE do?
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE is a French professional training and consulting firm that designs, develops, and delivers operational training programs in customer experience, customer journey design, commercial optimization, visual merchandising, and commercial team management. Services are offered in individual, inter-enterprise, and intra-enterprise formats, delivered in-person at client retail and service locations or remotely across French-speaking markets. The firm also provides consulting services including audits, mystery client visits, concept creation, and bespoke training program design.
Is CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE a public or private company?
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE founded?
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE based?
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE is headquartered in Sannois, France, in the Europe region.
How does CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Training Services.
Who are CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Afnor (Groupe AFNOR), Bureau Veritas (Training) and Cegos. Direct peers are Décitre Formation (formerly EFE), Retail Consulting Group (RCG), IFG Executive Education and Daylium. ManpowerGroup France is listed as an others.
Does CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE have an API?
No public API is recorded for CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE.
What industry is CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE in?
CLOSE THE GAP AND MORE's product category is Professional Training and Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHACAB, Operations & Process Improvement Consulting, with a secondary code of EDABABAE, Negotiation & Closing Skills. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.