French Fraud Watchdog Opens Investigation After Vulli Says Sophie the Giraffe Is Made in China

Sophie la girafe, marketed by Vulli as a product “entirely manufactured in France” in a factory in Rumilly, Haute-Savoie, is described in a Mediapart investigation as having been mass-produced in China since at least 2013.

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Corriere della Sera

The RMC report says the Rumilly production line was too small and “artisanal,” leading a former executive to recall, “We didn't have the means, so we turned to China,” and it adds that Chinese workshops were running at full tilt in photos dating from 2013.

Corriere della Sera

RMC also reports that Vulli’s “banner Made in France” helped it sell Sophie la girafe at a higher price, including in the United States where the toy sells for over 20 dollars and around 15 euros in France.

Corriere della Sera frames the case as Mediapart’s finding that Vulli would have outsourced production to China at least since 2013 while continuing to sell under the “Made in France” label, and it says DGCCRF launched checks after several reports.

In response, Corriere della Sera says Vulli CEO Alain Thirion confirmed to AFR that the giraffes are produced in China but are finished and inspected individually in France, adding, “it has never been a secret for anyone.”

French fraud authorities opened an investigation into deceptive commercial practices after Mediapart’s revelations, and RTL.fr reports that “An investigation by the fraud-repression authority (DGCCRF) has been opened.”

RTL.fr also quotes Vulli’s explanation to AFP that the company has “its (...) bare giraffes manufactured in China” and that “all 'the giraffes are finished and, above all, checked one by one in France',” with chief executive Alain Thirion speaking on Monday, May 5.

Courrier international

Le HuffPost reports that Thirion first rejected Mediapart’s claims with the statement, “I will not respond to your requests guided by lies, fake news, and remarks from a few people,” before conceding to AFP that “Vulli produces its … unfinished giraffes in China.”

Le HuffPost further says Mediapart wrote that “the consumer concealment was indeed a company strategy,” and it describes a reported warning from a Chinese manufacturer about avoiding accusations of false advertising regarding the actual place of production.

In Le Dauphiné Libéré, the DGCCRF is quoted on the legal risk of the label, saying, “Claiming a false French origin on a product can constitute misleading commercial practice, punishable by criminal penalties up to 10% of turnover.”

The dispute over Sophie la girafe’s origin is presented by Reporterre as part of a broader pattern of “industry twists,” with Salma Lamqaddam describing how she checked serial numbers and “confirmed that the two toys at home were manufactured in southeast China.”

“The iconic French toy Sophie la Girafe made in China”

franceinfo

Reporterre links the case to regulation, saying Lamqaddam argues for “a duty of vigilance and corporate responsibility” and points to “the European directive on the duty of vigilance” adopted in 2024.

In Le Dauphiné Libéré, the DGCCRF’s inspection figures for 2024 are cited, stating that “In 2024, outside the food sector, the DGCCRF inspected 1,300 establishments,” and it adds that “9% of the establishments inspected faced corrective and punitive actions.”

The same article quotes Gilles Attaf, president of Origine France Garantie, saying the certification requires that “all manufacturing steps must be carried out in France” and that “at least 50% of the unit cost of the product is earned in France.”

Courrier international describes the emotional and political weight of the revelation in France, quoting Le Temps that “the worst trauma of this wave of bad news may come perhaps from the revelation that… Sophie la girafe is largely manufactured in China,” and it ties the story to calls to strengthen industrial sovereignty.