Cetelem

History

Cetelem was created in 1953 by Jacques de Fouchier . Initially, Cetelem was launched for the purpose of financing household goods after the Second World War , at the time a refrigerator was then several months salary.

Cetelem merged at the end of 2007 with UCB and became BNP Paribas Personal Finance. It now covers all aspects of credit: real estate, automobile, consumption, distribution.

In 2014, BNP Paribas Personal Finance became a 100% shareholder in the LaSer Group ^1, which it held 50% since 2005.

Since June 2015, Laurent David ² is Chief Executive Officer of BNP Paribas Personal Finance.

Activities

Cetelem has been offering loans and credits as well as savings and insurance products since 2011 ³ .

Cetelem is also the creator and operator of the Aurore card since 1985. This card is identical to a credit card in its use (pay, withdraw money), but the credited balance can be refunded in several monthly installments with a very high rate.

Partnerships

Cetelem is a partner of major retailers (Carrefour, But, Conforama, Dell, etc.), e- commerce (Rue du Commerce), the banking sector (Axa Banque, CODIX , Caisse d’épargne, etc.) and with insurance companies (Axa Banque) and automotive companies (Peugeot, Toyota, Kia, etc.).

Cetelem is today present in about twenty countries. ^{[ref. necessary]}

In June 2010, BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Commerzbank signed an agreement ⁴ to jointly develop consumer credit in Germany. In July 2010, BNP Paribas and Groupe BPCE signed an industrial alliance partnership ^[4] through their specialized credit subsidiaries, BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Natixis Financement, for the creation of a common industrial platform.

In 2011, Cetelem signs a partnership with the Russian bank Sberbank ⁵ . In the same year, the two partners consolidate their partnership, through which Sberbank transfers to Cetelem Bank all credit management at the point of sale, car and distribution.

BNP Paribas Personal Finance is also expanding its presence in Asia. In 2013, the bank signed important partnerships, particularly in China, where it joined forces with Geely ⁶ , a car manufacturer, after consolidating its existing relationship with Bank of Nanjing ⁷ .

The Cetelem Foundation

Cetelem created the Cetelem Foundation in 1992 under the auspices of the Fondation de France . In late 2010, Cetelem has changed the object of its foundation, launching the Cetelem Foundation for Education Budget that aims to train preventively a young audience or reinsertion budget management ⁸ . In this context, the Cetelem Foundation works with associations such as CRESUS, Secours Catholique, Aurore, and the Fondation Agir Contre l’Exclusion.

The Cetelem Foundation builds pedagogical tools, adapted to the public of the associations with which it works, in France or abroad, to make it possible to train and accompany young people and people who know a change of professional or personal life. It also relies on microcredit to promote social and economic integration or reintegration ⁹ .

The Cetelem Observatory

Since 1985, the Cetelem Observatory has published yearly qualitative and quantitative studies on the behavior and consumption choices of Europeans, trends and new forms of distribution. It comes in two annual studies (consumption and automobile).

These studies are based on the observation of consumer behavior and trade-offs between French and European households. Today, Cetelem Observatory studies two distinct fields: Consumption and Automotive. All observatories are preceded by a structural analysis of the market conducted in partnership with BIPE , a firm of economic studies and certified strategy consulting.

Visual Identity

Since 2004, Cetelem is played by the character Credito. Before this character became the official mascot of Cetelem, 250 silhouettes were experimented ^{[ ref.  desired]} . First used in France, it was then deployed in thirty countries ^{[ref.  desired]} . Since 2006, he is the emblem of BNP Paribas Personal Finance in the world.

• Cetelem logo from 1953 to 2006

• Cetelem logo from 2006 to 2008

• Cetelem logo since 2008

• Logo BNP Paribas Personal Finance since 2008

Bibliography

• Gérard de Chaunac-Lanzac, From the 4CV to the video. 1953-1983, those thirty years that changed our lives. History of Cetelem , Paris, Communica International, 1983
• Sabine Effosse, Consumer Credit in France, 1947-1965. From stigma to regulation , Paris, Committee for the Economic and Financial History of France / IGPDE, 2014
• Bertrand Richard, In the private life of the French , Paris, Le Cherche-Midi, 2014

Notes and references