It was born from the following observation: 16,800 French municipalities no longer have any services and even fewer food stores and 11 million French people have to drive 20 minutes (round trip) to reach a supermarket. The start-up Api was created in 2022 with the ambition of revitalizing the rural world when it suffers from a series of closures of local businesses. In November 2022, the first connected autonomous mini-market from Api was established in a village in Charente. Since then, the Cognac start-up has opened 65 others. It plans to inaugurate the 100th by the end of 2024, when 130 projects have already been signed.
It was Charente which got the ball rolling, then Charente-Maritime, Gironde, Dordogne, and Api is setting up its first Landes mini-market this July 4 in Garmade-les-Bains. 40 m² (eco-designed) mini-markets made in Mayenne, using bio-sourced materials, containing 700 products, 70% of which are at supermarket prices (salty and sweet groceries, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, hygiene and beauty products, home products, non-alcoholic drinks only), thanks to a partnership with the Carrefour brand as well as local productions produced within a 50 km radius (cheeses, honey, fruits and vegetables).
And how does it work? You create your account on the API app and you get a QR Code that will be the key to opening the door of the mobile home. You do your little shopping, you go to the automatic checkout, paying by credit card. Api currently has 80,000 customers and, after conquering part of the departments of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, has expanded to those of Pays de Loire, with Normandy in mind for 2025. The idea is to cover the territory as closely as possible so that the Apicier, the person responsible for supplying and informing the customers of the supermarket once a day, can manage 3 or 4 sites and thus allow Api profitable employment. The start-up remains silent when it comes to talking about turnover and fundraising. Through gritted teeth, she admits, through the voices of one of her co-founders, Julien Nau, and her CEO, Marie-Laure Basset, that she is aiming for profitability within two years, with 200 supermarkets.
Valerie Deymes
Each supermarket has 700 product references, 70% of which are at supermarket prices.
Associated with Pickup for La Poste parcels
In the meantime, it is considering expanding the means of achieving its commitment to restoring autonomy to rural areas by creating social ties between residents. This is how it has just signed a partnership with the subsidiary of the La Poste group, Pickup, in order to provide its convenience stores with a parcel collection and drop-off deposit.
The first was installed in Gauriaguet (33) and by the end of 2024 around thirty others will be. To refine its fields of exploration, the start-up has created a rurality observatory. A first barometer carried out with OpinionWay identifies rural residents: average age 52, a household of 2 people on average, at least one vehicle owned by 98% of households and an average of 1,280 km/year of travel for food shopping. Enough to reinforce the young company in its mission…
