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This year, Vertbaudet challenged its responsible innovation strategy by inviting IÉSEG students to rethink its range of second-hand non-clothing products. To take on this challenge, students from the Bachelor in International Business (BIB) program at IÉSEG brought their international perspective to a very concrete mission: to imagine, structure and enhance a virtuous value chain aligned with both evolving family expectations and the brand’s standards.

Corporate social responsibility and sustainable consumption: second-hand at the heart of Vertbaudet’s approach

This initiative builds on Vertbaudet’s CSR commitments, as the company continues to adapt its practices in line with changing consumer behaviours. Giving a second life to toys, furniture or children’s accessories is now fully embedded in Vertbaudet’s trajectory: extending product lifecycles, ensuring high standards of quality and safety, reducing environmental impact while maintaining families’ trust, and continuously strengthening the sustainability of its business model.

Designing an innovative business model for non-clothing second-hand products

Supervised by David MONTENS, Professor of Strategy and Sustainable Development at IÉSEG, the students explored the strategic challenges associated with the second-hand market. From structuring a dedicated business model to supplier partnerships, logistics reliability and transparency, they examined new ways of reconciling profitability with Vertbaudet’s core values: safety, family support, accessibility and customer loyalty.

“Projects like this place students in real-life conditions,” explains David Montens. “They must understand CSR challenges as a driver of overall performance, question existing models and bring together innovation, pragmatism and positive impact for the company. They design solutions where CSR is embedded at the heart of the business model, rather than added on as an afterthought.”

Innovation, international perspective and strong CSR foundations

The diversity of profiles within the Bachelor in International Business program enabled students to combine perspectives, design solutions tailored to different target markets and integrate a global vision into the second-hand business model. Their proposals go beyond a purely transactional approach, addressing organisational structures, employee training and engagement, customer transparency and long-term value creation.

Séverine MAREELS, Quality & CSR Manager at Vertbaudet, highlights the depth of the students’ contribution to the group’s thinking: “Consumer expectations and needs are evolving, as is awareness around sustainability. The students’ proposals on second-hand, driven by their fresh perspective and strong understanding of major CSR issues, are a real asset. Their ability to structure ideas, convince stakeholders and imagine bold solutions is essential to our innovation momentum.”

A Vertbaudet–IÉSEG partnership supporting managerial transformation

This second-hand project is part of a broader collaboration between Vertbaudet and IÉSEG, which also includes training for the company’s top managers on strategic, high-impact topics.

Séverine MAREELS higlights the value of this dual approach: “Our managers work with IÉSEG on concrete business challenges, while students develop the ability to structure and defend their ideas and to challenge existing perspectives. It is a mutually enriching experience that fosters open-mindedness, managerial effectiveness and innovation.”

For David MONTENS, this bridge between academia and business fully reflects IÉSEG’s mission: to prepare future graduates to support corporate transformation and address major economic, social, environmental and managerial transitions.