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'The French people want to save us': help pours in for glassmaker Duralex

theguardian.com

1–10 of 141 posts

Re: 'The French people want to save us': help pours in for glassmaker Duralex

#3
While there is no shortage of irrelevant details, the article is very light on relevant details. What prevents the factory from staying in business? Not enough orders? The French people supposedly love this glassware and orders pour in whenever the company is mentioned. They have the factory up and running, they have employees. The workers own the means of production, what could be better than that?

Why do they need to expand into new product ranges, if the existing products are in such high demand? I'm not sure if the proposed pint glasses for British pubs are a sure winner. Why not stick with what already works?

None of this is explained in the article.

Re: 'The French people want to save us': help pours in for glassmaker Duralex

#4

New products and new markets clearly help finances. Burning that much gas has got to be their major expense. Are there other way to heat the furnaces?

Sometimes, but not often. These furnaces burn for like 20 years at a time, so gas is pretty common.

Re: 'The French people want to save us': help pours in for glassmaker Duralex

#5

While there is no shortage of irrelevant details, the article is very light on relevant details. What prevents the factory from staying in business? Not enough orders? The French people supposedly love this glassware and orders pour in whenever the company is mentioned. They have the factory up and running, they have employees. The workers own the means of production, what could be better than that? Why do they need…

I guess they have the same problem that Superfest glass from the GDR had, the glasses just don't break often enough.

Re: 'The French people want to save us': help pours in for glassmaker Duralex

#6
The article mentions it, but don’t insist on it. Duralex is now quite a special company: they were a renowned and beloved brand that was heading toward bankruptcy, until last year when the company was bought by its own workers and turned into a cooperative.

Since then, they have stayed afloat, probably thanks mainly to people wanting to support a worker-owned business by buying their glasses, but still, it works.

It’s a pretty positive story so far, and I hope they’ll continue to thrive under this new structure.

Re: 'The French people want to save us': help pours in for glassmaker Duralex

#7

While there is no shortage of irrelevant details, the article is very light on relevant details. What prevents the factory from staying in business? Not enough orders? The French people supposedly love this glassware and orders pour in whenever the company is mentioned. They have the factory up and running, they have employees. The workers own the means of production, what could be better than that? Why do they need…

Products which don't respect all the environment, the workers and the consumers are cheaper; much cheaper.

You can't win when other players are playing a different game.

This is another report from another French glass manufacturer. They couldn't meet their social responsibilty. Workers close the plant, and then the Mayor was pushing an unrelated company inthe viccinity, Nestle, to take over the failing glass plant

https://www.glass-international.com/news/o-i-halts-french-gl...

Re: 'The French people want to save us': help pours in for glassmaker Duralex

#8

While there is no shortage of irrelevant details, the article is very light on relevant details. What prevents the factory from staying in business? Not enough orders? The French people supposedly love this glassware and orders pour in whenever the company is mentioned. They have the factory up and running, they have employees. The workers own the means of production, what could be better than that? Why do they need…

I guess they have the same problem that Superfest glass from the GDR had, the glasses just don't break often enough.

Exactly. All my glassware are Duralex including coffe cups, and I haven't broken a single glass in 25+ years. Yet, they regularly fall on the ceramic kitchen floor from a hip level.

Re: 'The French people want to save us': help pours in for glassmaker Duralex

#9

While there is no shortage of irrelevant details, the article is very light on relevant details. What prevents the factory from staying in business? Not enough orders? The French people supposedly love this glassware and orders pour in whenever the company is mentioned. They have the factory up and running, they have employees. The workers own the means of production, what could be better than that? Why do they need…

As a French, my guess is simply that the brand is not price competitive and up until now, they didn't have the right marketing to justify the higher prices.

Duralex is a beloved brand, and the French wouldn't like to see it go, but not enough to have much of an influence in the shopping aisle. The nostalgia aspect is real (ask the French about the numbers at the bottom of the glass ;) ), but it may be a negative when looking for more "adult" glassware. Maybe you don't want your guests or yourself feel like your are in a school canteen. School canteens also don't have a reputation for being luxurious to say the least, which may be a problem if you want to charge a premium. It may be that's the idea behind the pint glasses by the way. Show that Duralex can make glassware for grownups too.

Re: 'The French people want to save us': help pours in for glassmaker Duralex

#10
post #9

While there is no shortage of irrelevant details, the article is very light on relevant details. What prevents the factory from staying in business? Not enough orders? The French people supposedly love this glassware and orders pour in whenever the company is mentioned. They have the factory up and running, they have employees. The workers own the means of production, what could be better than that? Why do they need…

As a French, my guess is simply that the brand is not price competitive and up until now, they didn't have the right marketing to justify the higher prices. Duralex is a beloved brand, and the French wouldn't like to see it go, but not enough to have much of an influence in the shopping aisle. The nostalgia aspect is real (ask the French about the numbers at the bottom of the glass ;) ), but it may be a negative when…

Create a separate high-end brand, Duralux.
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