Building an upscale reputation

blog cdache

Geneva-based Caran d’Ache has long enjoyed a reputation for producing high-quality pencils, artists’ materials and office products, and its airport and airline business largely reflects those traditions.

But the company is also one of Switzerland’s key luxury writing instruments manufacturers, and it is this heritage that the company is now showcasing with confidence and style – notably this week through the opening of its first airport store at Geneva (above).

Founded in 1924 by Arnold Schweitzer, Caran d’Ache’s origins as a manufacturer of quality products were inspired by Switzerland’s long history of watch-making and fine jewellery – and that history is played out through the wooden watch-makers drawers and the under-stated elegance of the new outlet.

The new unit – housed in a three-way branded store with Montblanc and Victorinox – also neatly rounds off the luxury goods zone that has taken shape in the modernised Geneva Airport terminal over the past year.

Compared to my last visit here, the commercial zone is bright and open, with a fittingly upscale environment for the luxury goods names that feature heavily here – in the city where so many top brands are at home.

As Caran d’Ache’s home city too, opening a boutique at the airport is a proud moment for this often under-stated family company. And it shows the high-end direction the company is aiming to take in the years ahead.