“Eating healthy and local is essential” The Rouen Bio grocery store calls on the generosity of its customers to get by… and it works!
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On the left bank of Rouen (Seine-Maritime), and more precisely in Petit-Quevilly, the Rouen Bio brand has become a reference in more than 28 years of existence. Which does not prevent it from also being hit by the crisis affecting the sector, particularly with the widespread rise in prices which has reduced the share of organic products on French people’s plates. “Between 2022 and 2023, we saw a drop in attendance of around 20 to 25%, which reduced our turnover by 17 to 20%,” indicates the owner of the grocery store, Luis Costea who He started again with his wife a little over 2 and a half years ago.
“The previous owner warned me that it was complicated, but we wanted to have an activity that fit with our lifestyle,” continues the independent trader who was an executive in a large DIY brand for a long time before embark on this adventure as a family following the Covid crisis. “As with many people, it encouraged me to give meaning to my work again. Eating healthy and local is essential for me. This is what I do every day for my four children. And I wanted to offer it to as many people as possible, with affordable prices and by releasing clichés that stick to this diet.”
A glance at its shelves is enough to convince oneself that Luis Costea plays the proximity card whenever he can, as much for his vegetables as for his eggs, his soups, his bread… “We have in the region producers who play the game, who offer exceptional products. My goal is to highlight them.”
However, even without counting their working hours, Luis and his wife found themselves at the start of the year facing the risk of closure, due to lack of sufficient cash flow to cover their expenses in particular. “We reached an agreement with our owner, but we had to think of other solutions.” So they decided to turn to their customers by offering to take out their wallets via a Rouen Bio membership campaign worth €59 for an annual “privileged” membership card.
“Know what you want”
Launched at the start of the year, this initiative met with unexpected success since nearly 200 people decided to play the game to help their store get through this difficult milestone. Like Geneviève who came to do her shopping as a neighbor. “You have to know what you want. Here, it’s a local store, on a human scale, with good products. If we want to preserve it, and if we obviously have the means, we can make this little effort.”
And if this card entitles you to some advantages, Luis Costea assures that more than ten of those who have subscribed to this offer do not want it. “They tell me, if we help you, it’s not to get discounts, but so that you continue to exist. It is heartwarming ! », smiles the 52-year-old man, happy to see that the generosity that drives him is a quality shared by those who frequent his grocery store. “I often say that here, my clients, I consider them to be friends. They show me that I am right to believe it.”
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