The Defis Group
The Group specializes in the sale of souvenir items, medals, gadgets, t-shirts, and various collections themed around France and Paris.
The Group caters to:
Individuals: Souvenir enthusiasts, Collectors of unusual products
(medals, postcards, pillboxes, sewing dice, etc...)
Companies: inter-company gifts, business partnerships, farewell gifts, welcome presents in France, in Paris…
Works councils: Events, event planning, staff gifts, trips abroad, visitor receptions, retirement departures, Christmas trees…
Schools: International school exchanges, language trips, friendship gifts…
Our team, with 15 years of experience, meets the most specific needs immediately.
A bit of history…
Marc-Henri Bacqueyrisses and Jean-Pierre Meyer founded the DEFIS company in 1989: A multiservice company with its main focus on La Défense, the western Parisian business district.
In 1989, the bicentennial celebration of the French Revolution and the inauguration of the Grande Arche during the G7 marked the beginning of a new era for the La Défense district. It saw the arrival of hundreds of tourists, and a year later, the image and sound symphony by Jean-Michel Jarre drew 2 million spectators. The trend was set. La Défense became one of the most visited sites in the region with 500,000 people per year. "A grand window open to humanity", the Grande Arche marks the culmination of the triumphant axis "La Défense-Bastille" which bears witness to 2,000 years of Parisian history.
EPAD (Public Establishment for the Development of La Défense), established in 1958, is aware of the curiosity inspired by the place and seeks to make this ultra-modern business district a more lively, warm, and friendly place. An information point is set up on the forecourt of La Défense to welcome many visitors and especially more tourists. The area has become a must-visit with its 70 monumental works by Calder, César, Miro, Raynaud, Takis, and many others.
In this context, the two partners responded to a new demand: the creation of derivative products from La Défense. The very first DEFIS company store, "Souvenirs Défense", was inaugurated in 1992. Located on the forecourt at the foot of the Grande Arche, between the CNIT and the regional shopping center of Les Quatre Temps, it is situated on a major tourist thoroughfare at the heart of La Défense.
It is the starting point of a tourist adventure that continues today with the opening of other stores in prestigious locations in Paris and Versailles.
The Defis company has become the Defis Group and directed its expertise towards online retail for individuals, in 2006.