Our virtues: prudence & courage

Prudence is an essential virtue for the Monchoix company. It leads to observing and knowing potential obstacles in order to take them into account when making decisions. Far from being a hindrance to development, it allows us to take the best risks. Prudence is that which separates action from impulse. In this respect, it is inseparable from courage. At Monchoix, this notion takes very concrete forms.

The example of the Bamboo collection

A few years ago, the Monchoix company launched a collection of bamboo tableware for children. "The collection was doing well because it met customer expectations for more 'natural' products," explains Arnaud Gicquel. But after some time, the manager and his team were alerted to the fact that this tableware contained particles that were potentially dangerous to health. "We decided to stop it immediately, despite its success. Out of conviction and caution."

An unprecedented 2022 context

Furthermore, the unprecedented context that companies have been experiencing since 2020 due to the health crisis has revealed the benefits of caution within the company. "Today, a certain uncertainty has set in, particularly regarding the delivery dates of our orders. Last year, we had already anticipated by placing our orders in August rather than October. And we received them in May. For the 2023 collection, we were cautious and placed our order in June." This decision involves a risk since orders are placed without visibility of those of customers. "Usually, when we order in October, we have two months of pre-orders. For us, placing an order in June for the following year requires a certain amount of courage. We are going to stock up and review our production schedule." Caution and risk-taking are therefore inseparable in such a scenario.

Finally, faced with this unprecedented situation, Monchoix took the time to contact each of its customers to inform them of the delivery difficulties and to ask them about their wish to maintain their order. "We rely on honesty and absolute transparency. Once again, this carries a significant risk of losing orders. But it is part of the relationship of trust that we have always built with our customers."