Leroy Merlin Logo PNG
The emblem of the trading house is like a well-groomed corner of the garden, in which the lawn grass is green. The Leroy Merlin logo indicates that you can buy everything you need in the brand’s outlets to create your cozy island of nature.
Leroy Merlin traces its roots to Billy-Berclau in Pas-de-Calais, where Mrs. Leroy delivered groceries to neighbors in the late 19th century. Her son, Adolphe, later took over the business. Still, World War I almost erased the village and ruined the family’s trade.
After the war, Adolphe moved to Nœux-les-Mines and started again with surplus goods from the U.S. Army. In 1921, he opened a permanent store called Au Stock Américain. Two years later, he married Rose Merlin, a merchant’s daughter who became his full business partner. The future company name was derived from the two family names, though it was officially adopted much later.
The store gradually moved beyond military surplus. Customers wanted building materials, home fittings, furniture, prefabricated structures, carpentry services, and later housebuilding. In 1960, Au Stock Américain was renamed Leroy Merlin. The chain introduced free delivery and, in 1967-1968, opened one of France’s first self-service home improvement stores in Nœux-les-Mines, a format built around direct customer access to shelves.
By the late 1970s, Leroy Merlin had about 33 stores, but Castorama was becoming a serious rival. After Adolphe Leroy died in 1978, the family sold 50% of the company to Auchan in 1979. After Bernard Leroy died in 1981, Auchan took full control and refocused the chain on DIY, construction, renovation, and gardening. The first foreign store opened in Leganés, Spain, in 1989, followed by expansion into Poland, Italy, Brazil, China, and Greece. By 2022, Leroy Merlin had over 400 stores in 12 countries. In 2023, ADEO transferred the Russian business to local management.
Meaning and History
Leroy Merlin is a joint venture by a French married couple that began with a small shop that 19-year-old Adolf inherited from his father. Trading building supplies and prefabricated houses, the couple went through several ups and downs. Children added scale to their business. They registered L’enchanteur Leroy Merlin in the 1950s, equipped the headquarters, and created a chain of do-it-yourself stores operating in the suburbs. In 1981, the company, which had 33 stores, was acquired by the larger Auchan concern. With the help of a new owner, it expanded beyond France, absorbing 17 companies. Together with the Auchan brands, this conglomerate was transformed into the ADEO group.
The well-known company logo has changed three times. Each change marked a new stage in Leroy Merlin’s development.
Who is Leroy Merlin?
It is a French hypermarket chain with offices in 13 countries across three continents. The headquarters is located in Lille and is owned by the Mulliez Family Association.
1923 – 1968
The logo of this period has not been preserved. Before World War II, Leroy Merlin was a single small shop that sold goods to residents and, most likely, did not have a logo. The outlet closed during World War II, and its goods were confiscated for the war effort. And in the late 40s, the couple had to restart the business. Therefore, the first known company logo appeared after Adolf and Rosa’s sons, Bernard and Leonel, took over the business.
1968 – 1980
The first known visual sign was developed after the brothers registered the Leroy Merlin Enchantment company (later Leroy Merlin SA) and began opening hypermarkets as part of large-scale projects. In the 50s and 60s, such outlets were called Do-It-Yourself (DIY).
The logo featured the name of the former parent store and the current company, Leroy Merlin. The dividing sign, in the form of a small vertical line, between the two parts of the emblem indicated the two founders’ names.
Capital letters were elongated, and closely grouped letters were used in the inscription, which symbolized close cooperation and teamwork. At first, the Leroy couple and their children worked together to build a business. Brigades of carpenters, masons, and painters also work together. Only their teamwork helps to create a house.
A thin black line is drawn above the name, creating the impression of a board or a metal rod lying on top. The design evoked a feeling of heaviness pressing on the letters. At the same time, the logo remained straight and inflexible, suggesting the special strength of Leroy products. And on the company’s firmness and reliability.
The prominent part of the logo was the letter “O” in the surname Leroy. It is made in the form of a circle, inside which a figure of a person is inscribed in profile, painting the letter from the inside. His arms are bent and raised, and his head is drawn in a brush shape. The circle is associated with pipes, nail heads, and rollers – various details necessary for the master.
Even though the logo does not directly indicate the company’s direction, all the details of the image, from the dividing sign to the figurine, evoke associations with construction sites, artisans, and building materials.
1980 – 1996
In the late 70s, the company ran into financial difficulties, and in 79, after the death of the company’s founder, Adolphe Leroy, the large French corporation Auchan bought 50% of the shares. And in the 81st year, after Bernard’s death, she bought the company outright. With the new owner’s arrival, the logo concept was revised.
According to the new concept, the brand’s main goal is to help people create their dream homes. This is what the triangle in the center of the composition says. It is a symbol of the house’s roof, the green lawn in front of it, and a hint of gradual progress towards your goal: to the top, the ideal home.
The two founders’ names are placed on the sides of the triangle. On the left half, the word “Leroy” runs from bottom to top. The primary arrangement and the writing from bottom to top indicated the path the Leroy family had traveled before the company appeared (Adolf’s father was also involved in the sale of materials before the First World War). Rosa’s last name, Merlin, is placed on the right side of the figure and is directed from top to bottom. Visually, it looks larger and richer. It symbolizes the prosperity and development that came to the family when doing business together.
The composition is set against a very light greenish background.
1996 – today
In the 90s, the company opened branches in Spain, Poland, Italy, and Brazil and began to acquire other chains. The logo has undergone minor changes to reflect the expansion.
Do-it-yourself stores were already called hypermarkets, and the hint of homemade stencil production was gone. Therefore, the font was changed to a more even, printed sans-serif.
The rectangle with the light green background was removed, as if to expand the company’s horizons, allowing it to rise and spread more widely. The central triangle brightened up, resembling young shoots, a symbol of new stores, young offshoots of the company.
Font and Colors
The main colors of the logo are black and green.
- Green is the color of life and positivity, a symbol of renewal that accompanies repairs, and an indicator of gardening products. The shade shows that, thanks to the company’s products, the house becomes a comfortable and pleasing place to live.
- Black – an indicator of reliability, perseverance, and overcoming difficulties. The Leroy family’s business declined three times and was revived three times.
The 80s logo uses Stencil Antiqua EF Rough stencil font. It was as if the name had been handwritten under a stencil, another indication of a “do it yourself” store. The font is similar to ITC Eras Std Bold in the modern emblem, with an unusual letter R.