A true story of Perles & Co...

There are companies born of the talent or ambitious genius of a flawless strategic entrepreneur, founded with the help of venture capital and other investment funds.
And then there are the more singular companies, born almost by chance, from an idea that is neither very original nor very brilliant, just caught in the air of time like an obvious idea...

Perles & Co is one of them!
Perles & Co was born in 2004 in Albi in the mind of Jean-Etienne Estingoy. The small family business has come a long way since then.

However, nothing predestined Jean-Etienne to launch himself into the world of beads and creative hobbies. Because no, Jean-Etienne was not passionate about creating jewellery. He was more interested in wheat fields, foie gras, wine and 4L cars.

On the other hand, Laurence, our buyer, has always had a creative soul. And it was her, who, one day in 2003, received a parcel from the United States full of pretty sparkling bicones to create the famous 9-flower rings (remember them?). Of course, Jean-Etienne was intrigued and asked what Laurence had bought on the other side of the world!
Crystal bicones made in Europe, transported to the United States and then delivered to France (not really safe for our planet)! This was enough to arouse Jean-Etienne's curiosity (and especially his ecological fibre!).

And why don't we sell them online here? In France? Here it is, the genius idea! And it's a good one! Because at the time, e-commerce was just emerging. Hardly anyone was selling beads on the Internet in France or in Europe.

The Perles & Co project was launched! Line by line, Jean-Etienne created his own website from the depths of his garage, piling up boxes of beads in their small flat. It only took a few days for the first orders to arrive and the first stocks to be emptied.

And the magic of the Internet did the rest...
Word of mouth spread through the HDP (Histoire de Perles) forum and other groups of bead fans (and yes, there are no social networks yet!). Perles & Co is already becoming a MUST!

The years have passed and the solitary beginnings, then in a team of 10, are long gone. Today, the wheels of the mechanism are well in place, the bases are solid. Perles & Co has about fifty employees and more than 60,000 references of beads and components, thousands of online tutorials, tens of thousands of orders each month, and more than 200,000 active members in our creative community.

The secret of its longevity? Laurence and her anticipation of trends and her good taste in all circumstances.
And a whole team of collaborators who each bring their own added value. People who each day bring a few more ideas, a little more enthusiasm, who make their colleagues want to work... People who do their utmost to offer responsible DIY with the right products, the right prices, the right customer service, the right availability, the right communication, the right logistics, the right listening to satisfy the customer. Because at Perles & Co, we don't know how to do otherwise...

And besides, what would the history of Perles & Co look like without its customers...? Because all this is thanks to YOU! Thank you for having given birth to this passionate and exciting adventure and for continuing to write its history every day. Again and again...