Groupe Habitat is an international chain of stores of British origin created by Sir Terence Conran in 1964, which specialises in the sale of furniture and contemporary decorative accessories. Since September 2011 it has been owned by the French group CAFOM distribution.
History
On 11 May 1964, Sir Terence Conran, a young furniture designer and restaurateur, opened the first Habitat store Fulham Road, London. It aimed to modernise the British furniture industry offering contemporary design at affordable prices. The brand then grew rapidly by anticipating the tastes of the public. In 1973, the company opened its first French store in Paris, in the Montparnasse district. For the next two decades, Habitat continued its expansion in Europe, opening stores in France, Spain and Germany. In the 1980s, Sir Terence Conran merged Habitat into the Storehouse plc group, which included British Home Stores, Richard Shops, Mothercare, Heal's and a 50% share of SavaCentre. In 1992, Habitat joined the Ikano group. Founded by the Swedish businessman Ingvar Kamprad, founder and owner of IKEA, Ikano consisted of independent companies operating in different sectors. During this period, the Kamprad family recruited new talents, such as Vittorio Radice, and consolidated the Habitat brand on the furniture and interior markets. In 1998, Tom Dixon was also asappointed director of design. In September 2011, Habitat joined the CAFOM group. Founded by Hervé Giaoui in 1985, CAFOM is an independent French retail group specialising in home improvements. The group was already present on the French market through its online retail site Vente-unique.com and with a dozen stores overseas as well. In 2011, French designer Pierre Favresse was appointed artistic director of the brand Habitat. In 2014, Habitat celebrates 50 years of existence, and uses big names to celebrate the event: Sir Terence Conran and Thierry Marx. On 19 March 2015, the former French Economy Minister, Arnaud Montebourg, is appointed Vice President of Habitat for Innovation.
Habitat offers specialised product lines in home furnishings and decorating: sofas and armchairs, living and dining rooms, offices, bedrooms and kitchens.
