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SFR launched Tuesday its new line of mobile phone plans. With two major innovations. On the one hand, the possibility of a subscription without changing phone. In return, the package price would drop, drop up to 35% or 45%. An operation by which shock SFR is preparing for the arrival of Free, who has promised to halve the bill of a mobile home.

It is also a break with current trends in the mobile consumer, where the majority of subscribers are systematically changing phone – even if they still works – as soon as they leave for a new package of 12 or 24 months. Environmentally unfriendly habit while recycling is cumbersome to organize and costly for operators heavily subsidize the purchase of the phone.

The operators seem determined to break this vicious circle."Until now, subscribers have paid for urban subscribers of fields, those who do not change their mobile paid for those who changed all the time. Today, someone who does not change his mobile will pay less, "said Frank Cadoret, managing director of consumer and professional SFR La Chaîne Techno. Numericable and La Poste, which both come to embark in Mobile, made the telephone subsidy packages without the spearhead of its strategy to offer aggressive pricing packages paperless payday loans.

Bill Lefebvre

One way to take the lead for several months while the regulator (Arcep) wants to clarify the grant of the mobile.And it is also an objective of the Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs, Frédéric Lefebvre, who introduced his bill on consumer protection, on 1 June

The question remains whether consumers will be seduced, while, in turn, device manufacturers continue to offer ever more innovative models, adding 4G, 3D, contactless payment technology and other discovery.

Another new SFR must formalize its agreement with the online music site Spotify announced in Le Figaro (our editions of May 14). Like with Deezer Orange, SFR will offer several packages including mobile phones with unlimited Spotify. One way to consider another major change current practice: the decline of the voice and the booming exchanges of data, whether text messages, emails, web, video or music files.

On Thursday morning, Veronica has resigned to go through the door of Deco, the charity for families in debt. "To keep a little dignity and do not lose your head," the young woman slips, looking weary. At age 41, mother of a boy of 7 years, Veronica is unemployed, as her husband who had to close its microenterprise. Riddled with debt, the couple has any income to EUR 400 for unemployment benefits, for 2500 euros in charges refund! They have no less than ten credits on the arms: property, auto, personal, card purchase … not to mention the liability of the company, social security arrears and income tax. Today, Veronica sees no alternative but to initiate insolvency proceedings. "To start over, she hopes.All our goods will be confiscated, it will be under supervision of a director for five years, but then finished the debts, they will be erased. "

A little behind, hidden behind thick glasses, square Pedro feverishly bothers her phone number. If using Deco is an attempt to renegotiate two loans: a consumer loan of 8500 euros contracted with Cofidis and a mortgage of 15,000 euros to the Central Fund deposits that could not pay despite the sale of his house in August 2010."I look forward to rescheduling or pay only the interest, time to recover."

The difficulties for this young professor began after the dismissal of his wife in 2009 and in January he has lost 200 euros from his salary, the first result of government austerity measures, so that today his income does not exceed 1,500 euros, to pay a rent of 650 euros, ongoing expenses and academic studies of her two children. "We can not do it. It has sought help from family, but it's hard for everyone, the quadra confesses. For the first time in my life, I went to the food bank. "

Examples such as Pedro or Veronica, the association received more than twenty per day, not counting the numerous letters bad credit unsecured personal loans.They are between 30 and 45, they are engineers, professors, lawyers, employees … a simple high school education or higher, an average income of 1,500 euros, an average of five credits in their passive but often much more. In 2010, Deco has received 17,372 applications, twice more than in 2008, owing much to job loss.

Cumulative effect

Natalia Nunes, head of the division of debt, also denounced the irresponsibility of financial institutions, which for years have opened the floodgates of credit, facilitated by attractive interest rates, but also households who, " lack of financial education, have left illusions. "The illusion with the entry into the European Union is to have grown to become a rich country. Credit is very recent in Portugal, it dates from 1990.It was a real revolution in a country of culture rather closed, "says Natalia.

Result, in 2009, according to the Bank of Portugal, the rate of household debt amounted to more than 130% of their disposable income. And for Natalia, for sure, the problem will intensify in the coming months with the recession and the restrictive measures imposed by the IMF-EU agreement. "There will be a cumulative effect between the abolition of tax relief, cuts in welfare, freezes wages and pensions, rising prices and interest rates," explains the manager. Ironically, this makes the success of collection companies. "It would create a weekly basis. They are there to exert psychological pressure, they even go to the neighbors, "denounces Natalia. On the mode of cobrador do fraque (collector habit), a local tradition in which the collector, dressed in black coat, says his victim …

The chic below Chantal Thomass change hands. The Sun Brand Apparel Group, its owner since 1998, sells the brand premium to the group Chantelle. Works just be informed and that of Sun reported Monday a favorable opinion. Only remains to finalize the signing of the founder, Chantal Thomass, who holds 34% stake. It is currently negotiating an agreement to continue to oversee the creation and an option to sell its shares in the next few years. The transaction price is estimated at 6 million.

"It's been ten years that Sun is planning to separate from the brand but had always hitherto encountered opposition from Chantal Thomass, says Luc Genet, elected at Sun CFDT Our group realized that the Luxury was a world apart from ours and not as profitable as retail.They have not occupied the brand and let it sink. "Turnover Chantal Thomass would be increased from 14 million a decade ago to 8 million last year, with a loss of 2 , 1 million. According to the union, the shareholder of Sun for five years, the U.S. fund Sun Capital Partners, "undressing the bride to return the cash before selling the group."

With Chantelle, Chantal Thomass is a partner of choice Faxless payday loans. It is indeed one of the last French lingerie that has not resigned to suffer the inexorable decline of the sector. Employing 6,200 people for a turnover of 340 million euros, he went all-out on the distribution and brand while keeping both plants in France.Together with its claws Chantelle and Passionata, he developed the brand Darjeeling (126 shops in France) and acquired in 2006 Orcanta group Pinault (56 stores), which are already sold products Chantal Thomass.

Private name

The designer to the eternal dark fringe is about to write a new chapter in the eventful life of its brand. After having sold the Japanese group in 1985 World, she had been dismissed and deprived of her name. Then the company was liquidated in 1996. Chantal Thomass was then able to redeem his name and raise its claw with the Sun group, then in the hands of the U.S. Sara Lee. 42 employees will be included by Chantelle as part of the redemption. The elected Dim worried about the activity of other employees who worked in part for Chantal Thomass, one year after the restructuring, the group also Sun, the Playtex brand.

The global automotive industry has been particularly affected by the consequences of the earthquake in Japan on March 11. The problems of supply of parts continues to disrupt production lines. And the worst is to come as manufacturers currently still draw on their inventories of components for the shortages. But at this rate, stocks should soon be exhausted. Thus, according to the consulting firm IHS Automotive cited by Les Echos, the peak could be reached in early September, during which 3.4 to 4 million vehicles will not be produced because of supply problems.

In total, throughout the year, the Japanese earthquake could result in the loss of 2 and 3 million compared to 77.6 million vehicles produced per year, according to IHS Automotive.For now, the consulting firm believes that manufacturers could not produce the equivalent of more than 1.5 million vehicles have been produced in response to supply disruptions in supply chains which 1.1 million in Japan.

The magnitude of these shortages can be explained by the importance taken over the years by the electronics in vehicles bad credit payday advance. Electronic systems account for nearly 30% of the cost of manufacturing a car. But the main producers of these components are Japanese and there are few alternative sources of production. For example, Japanese Renesas which manufactures control systems gearboxes, holds nearly 40% market share.

Return to normal until 2012

Once past the peak, automakers will try to work extra hard to regain the level of production prior to the disaster even at higher levels to meet demand and replenish their stocks. But nothing says that the factories will be able to keep pace. In fact, the capacities of production lines are limited. On the other hand, the collapse of the automobile demand in Japan could encourage manufacturers to be cautious.

Thus, the groups should take time to catch up with the volumes that have been lost following the disaster of 11 March. Some analysts believe the situation should not be completely restored until 2012.

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If humanity continues its momentum, it will consume in 2050 three times more raw materials than today. "Far beyond what is bearable." The warning is clear. And it does not derive from Lester Brown, president of Earth Policy Institute, which multiplies the books for decades on the depletion of the planet or the WWF or Greenpeace, but the UN.

In forty years, some 9 billion people consume 140 billion tons of minerals, hydrocarbons and biomass (wood, crops, livestock), as reported by the UNEP (United Nations Environment). Or 16 tons of natural resources swallowed each year by each person on the planet."Policymakers and the general public are still not convinced of the absolute physical limits on the amount of resources available to humanity," the authors note, a dozen experts led by an Austrian and a South African.

Doing more with less

To avoid shortages and social tensions and geopolitical they would generate, the world must "do more with less." Sustained growth requires massive investment in "technological innovation, financial and social." One difficulty lies in the considerable disparity in the exploitation of raw materials. An inhabitant of an industrialized country consumes an average 16 tons per year, four times more than Indian.

In rich countries, the differences are equally impressive.A consumer of Qatar, Australia and the United States swallows 40 tons of natural resources per year when a French, a German or an Italian uses about 15 tons. These figures do not reflect the reality only partially, note the rapporteurs of the UN. For a tonne of copper extracted in Chile will be charged to the consumer in their calculation Chilean even if it is used to manufacture a product sold in China or Europe. These methodological weaknesses therefore do not change the risk of global depletion of natural resources. Even if industrialized countries were able to halve their consumption of raw materials by 2050, not living to 8 tons, and that developing countries joined this level without exceeding the total amount to 70 billion tons, or 40% more than today.This scenario (No. 2 in the graphics) would be accompanied by a doubling of greenhouse gas emissions, a path inconsistent with the objectives of the international community in the fight against global warming.

Amid these grim prospects for the environment, the UN report uncovers some reasons not to despair. The global trend towards urbanization is paradoxically supports better use of natural resources. A densely populated area per capita is more economical building materials, energy and transportation, the experts argue.

Another reason for optimism, emerging skip some stages of development by adopting technologies directly or models that consume less raw materials, how they embraced the mobile phone have not finished building the fixed telephone network.

The euro has dropped by nearly 5% in a week. Such depreciation on the foreign exchange market in such a short time is rare. If some investors have been illuminated reap gains from the sacred, others had to lose a lot!

The euro rose against the dollar over from 1.49 to 1.42 in one week. (Chart from the trading platform of Saxo Bank)

What was even Pringles Procter & Gamble, one might ask? The famous canned chips, which can be enjoyed in over 140 countries, were the last food brand – apart from the dog food – including shampoos, detergents, batteries and other razors marketed by P & G.

Pringles has found its place in the U.S. food group Diamond Foods, which will triple its snacks segment with the operation. This specialist snacks spends $ 2 saving account pay day loan.35 billion, including $ 1.5 billion in shares, and also takes over a debt of 850 million. Diamond Foods has made several acquisitions in recent years, especially from General Mills, who comes to him, to enter the capital of Yoplait.

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Faced with rising rents in France, it becomes difficult for the student accommodation. AFEV (Association of the student foundation for the city), an association of student volunteers who fight against inequalities in income neighborhoods, has been working on this issue. It launched a program that offers student groups, in return for a roommate in very affordable prices, to participate in a common social vision. This program is called KAPS "Koloc A. Projects in solidarity"

In September 2010, the mayor of Toulouse has made available ten students four T3/T4 type apartments, provided they spend a few hours a week in entertainment cultural workshops, or coaching youth in difficulty .Students share the old staff accommodation which the city owns and rents paid monthly CROUS (Regional Centre for University and School) amounted to 272.42 euros (141 to 182 euros after deduction of aid housing). The project is supported by the bank BNP Paribas participant KAPS at € 150,000 and shall be directly liable, allowing students to access at no additional cost to collocations.

Roommate: a method that works

"Although Toulouse was one of the cheapest cities in France, the housing market begins to be saturated," said Stephanie Arnold of the town hall of the "pink city". "An increasing number of students is therefore preferred to collocation. This allows them to make more new friends. "The analysis of the motivations of students, which was conducted among volunteers AFEV shows "both a strong desire to participate in an action 'good' socially and a desire to learn for themselves," says the press release KAPS project.

Furthermore Toulouse, Poitiers and Paris have also tried. Through a partnership with the Foundation AFEV Poitiers University and the social landlord Logiparc, 12 students occupied T4 4 apartments in two districts of Poitiers for a rent amounting to 285 euros each (housing not deducted) same day payday loans. In Paris, five students, including volunteers AFEV are housed in a residence of the Studentenwerk, including three singles and two in collcation in an apartment.In exchange for a rent of 350 to 380 euros per month, they are five hours per week involved in projects in the area of ​​the roundabout of the Chapel, where there is a high concentration of social housing.

Convincing results

In the capital, the city less affordable for students, AFEV, the Studentenwerk and SIEMP (Society of the mixed economy of the city of Paris) work to the lineup from 40 to 50 units dedicated to the roommate. "But we are still awaiting the response of social landlords. Nothing is certain at this stage with regard to these apartments. But we know that CROUS participate in KAPS next year through the apartments and rooms available to students, "Tiffany relativizes Koechlin, territorial delegate AFEV Paris.Laurie Hay, in charge of local development association AFEV Poitiers, gives more otpimistes figures: the number of units for the project KAPS in this city will double the autumn of 2011.

The Toulouse experience so far remains a single case in France, because it is housing, which owns the Town Hall. This facilitates all administrative procedures for obtaining housing and avoid going through intermediary structures. Other cities such as Bordeaux and Perpignan have already started looking for apartments in vacant city in order to transform it into the collocation projects KAPS, according to the association.

The respite will not last long on the market for European sovereign debt. The markets have once again played to scare Thursday and fears have focused on Lisbon. The return of Portuguese debt to ten years has indeed reached a level unprecedented since the creation of the euro, to 7.43%. The 7% threshold, estimated as the maximum interest rate for Portugal, has been crossed. The "spread" against German Bunds, that is to say, the premium demanded by investors to hold debt rather than Portuguese in Germany, rose to 440 points.

With this new record yield debt Portuguese, European Central Bank (ECB), which had suspended its buyback program for two weeks, had to return to duty. Traders said that the ECB had mainly bought the debt and Portuguese for relatively small amounts.The level of returns is then dropped to 7.404%.

Relief Fund: markets are getting impatient

Why this sudden adrenaline rush of investors? Thursday, no particular event or no ad would disrupt markets. Portugal has even done a show on Monday for which demand was sustained 6 billion euros for a 3-billion. Only the publication of inflation figures, which accelerated to 3.6% in January over a year, could "act as a trigger," said Patrick Jacq, a strategist at BNP Paribas.But it is especially for him a "pretext" seized by investors who wanted to get rid of their obligations Portuguese.

Indeed, a Malay would rather background behind these rate movements: Waiting for strong measures and reassuring European leaders, "markets are anxious and disturbed by the lack of communication," said Bertrand Michaud analyst at Louis Capital Markets. For several weeks the tension had fallen through discussions on increasing the financial stability of the Permanent Fund European (FESF), the European aid funds to countries in difficulty, and a convergence of economic policies of member states. Central banks had also reassured the markets by saying ready to intervene to redeem debt.Finally, the successful bond issues in Portugal and Spain in particular, and publication of economic indicators reassuring, particularly in Germany, contributed to this relaxation.

But markets are impatient again while discussions between member countries of the euro area have stalled. Last Friday, the leaders gathered at a special summit where Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy have called for a "pact of competitiveness" among the seventeen countries, including "structural reforms" and a "closer economic cooperation" . But the concrete application of these statements will not be discussed before the next summit. "The EU summit has led to nothing, which was more or less expected, said Patrick Jacq. It was also understood that the Franco-German proposals were not necessarily accepted by other countries.In short, it's back problems in the euro area ". Consequence: increased nervousness of investors resulting in runaway journeys, rational markets as was the case yesterday.

Recession fears

Concerns are still doing over Portugal designated as next on the list after Greece and Ireland for a new rescue plan. Lisbon yet strives to give positive signs. The Government has therefore set a priority to reduce the public deficit to 4.6% of GDP this year, against about 7% in 2010. "In 2011, Portugal will achieve one of the most profound and ambitious fiscal adjustments (…), necessary to ensure the credibility of our economy on the international front, funding of our economy and its growth," said Prime Minister Jose Socrates.Portugal has also reported an estimated GDP growth of 1.3% in 2010, after falling 2.6% the previous year.

But for many economists, recession fears persist. The austerity measures, including the higher taxes and cuts in salaries of civil servants, should indeed stopping domestic consumption. "Portugal is not released at the prospect of using the potential FESF said Patrick Jacq. At this stage, it is a choice on their part but if I were the Portuguese taxpayer, I would prefer that the state borrows under the FESF for a lower rate. " But Portugal is determined not to resort to European funds: "There is no reason to believe that Portugal does not qualify to continue to appeal to markets.Quite the contrary, has said yesterday the Minister of the Presidency Pedro Silva Pereira, who has condemned the attacks speculative pushing up rates of bond yields in Portugal.

Patrick Jacq, interest rate movements important as that of yesterday are relative, however, given the current liquidity conditions. "This is not a significant degradation of the image of Portugal." The peripheral states of the euro area remains under pressure however, pending the outcome of the forthcoming summit of EU leaders on March 11.

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The mechanisms of financial assistance to States

After seeing its sales and profits fall in 2009, the world leader in cosmetics has regained his health before the crisis. Its sales rose 5.6% last year to 19.5 billion euros. Its operating profit him, jumped 18.6% to over 3 billion euros. Jean-Paul Agon, CEO since 2006, will chair the group on March 17, following the departure of Lindsay Owen-Jones.

LE FIGARO. – What is your assessment of 2010?

JEAN-PAUL AGON. – The crisis is clearly behind us, the results speak for themselves. L'Oreal has rebounded well in 2010, with strong sales growth at constant exchange rates, a record turnover, a result of very significant growth and market share gains in virtually all regions of the world.These results are the consequence of policy decisions taken in late 2008: to make our innovations available, enter into new categories (deodorants, body care, male grooming), accelerating globalization, increasing our research efforts and advertising & promotion and reduce administrative costs and business. China has become our third largest market, with over one billion euros of turnover.

What is your outlook for 2011?

We are confident in our ability to outperform the market this year. After rising by 4% last year, the global cosmetics market should again grow 3 to 4%.

The return to growth in the market he calls into question the strategy of product availability?

Not at all. We are entering an era of beauty for all. For twenty years we have internationalized our brands.We will go further with different formats, different products. In Eastern Europe, Garnier sells staining simpler and more economical. In India, the brand is available in jars, tubes and bags a few rupees. Another example, Maybelline has recorded a growth of 13% of its sales because it distributes products of good quality makeup at an affordable price.

Are you concerned that political instability, economic and social burden on your growth in emerging markets?

The great strength of L'Oreal is to be present on all continents.The best protection against geopolitical uncertainty is to maximize opportunities in all new countries.

Are you considering acquisitions to accelerate in developing countries?

L'Oreal has a diversified portfolio of brands with European, American, a Japanese brand (Shu Uemura) and Chinese (Yue Sai). It would be interesting to buy a brand Brazilian or Indian. You should know that in emerging new consumers for many new consumers of cosmetics. To them we prefer to start our brand. Garnier and the preferred brand of Indians. Our specialty is to consider closer to the cultures, the needs of these consumers. There is no beauty, but beauty.Our strategy is to universalize the one hand that our global scale to all countries of the world, and secondly that they are available worldwide personal business card.

Will you continue to rationalize your portfolio of brands by country? Could you give Helena Rubinstein, who is no longer sold in France?

We are pragmatic. There is no taboo. All our brands will not necessarily present in every country in the world. Regarding Helena Rubinstein, it's been that we are attached.

Lindsay Owen-Jones why he chose to abandon his post as president, when he was re-signed for two years in 2010?

The unification of the functions of chairman and CEO is a tradition at L'Oreal. In over 100 years of history, they have been separated a few years.Lindsay Owen-Jones said in 2005 that he would leave the presidency before his 65th birthday. This council was the last before his 65th birthday, was the right time to pass the torch.

Some have criticized Lindsay Owen-Jones, very close to Liliane Bettencourt, to emphasize the family to other shareholders, especially Nestle …

It is not for me to comment on rumors.

The case Bettencourt did destabilized the group?

No, this has not impacted the operation of the company. Internally, staff have behaved quite remarkable and remained mobilized.

Mrs. Bettencourt and her daughter are reconciled.What does this change it for the future of family involvement in L'Oreal?

To mark this happy outcome, the family has publicly expressed a strong and united in its commitment to the company.

Francois Dalle his presidency marked by acquisitions, Lindsay Owen-Jones by his own rationalization and internationalization of the brand portfolio. What impression would you print?

Every president has matched a new era in the world. Today, we face new challenges in a changing world. These transformations are so many opportunities to continue the adventure L'Oreal. The first is the geographic shift to new countries. The group has built over 100 years consumers in Europe and North America. The new consumers of today are South America, Africa and Asia.We know the emergence of a new middle class of about 2 to 2.5 billion people in the next ten to fifteen years. Then, the digital revolution, technological and cultural changes in depth the relationship of our brands with consumers. Finally, the leader in beauty must help build a more beautiful world. L'Oreal is especially equipped to face the challenges of today's world. We focus on one trade, that of beauty. Research, innovation, quality of worship, a culture house very strong part of our DNA. Our values are our values.

Will you inspire Lindsay Owen-Jones to preside L'Oreal?

I have great admiration for him. It is twenty-five years as we work together.We are entering a new era with new challenges and a new adventure for L'Oreal.

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Lindsay Owen-Jones is leaving L'Oreal