Casino’s nugget gives its stores a facelift and drastically lowers prices

360 degree transformation at Casino. While its Monoprix subsidiary is getting a makeover, its other subsidiary Franprix is ​​following suit and opening a new chapter in its history. At the helm since March, Casino’s new shareholders and its general manager, Philippe Palazzi, wasted no time in implementing the distribution group’s transformation plan in order to remedy the glaring lack of investment by last years.

The Franprix gem, which counts 1,108 convenience stores in France for a turnover of 1.8 billion euros in 2023, was in dire need of a facelift! The last remodeling of the stores dates back 10 years with the famous Mandarine concept. Capital was able to visit one of the first revamped stores at Porte de Bagnolet in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, which opened its doors to the general public a few days ago.

Price drop of 12% on average

The priority objective of the brand, leader in proximity in Île-de-France with more than 40% of market share? Stop the flight of its customers to stores that practice lower prices. To remedy this, Franprix has decided to drastically lower its prices, 12% on average, on 145 products everyday products like Danette, President Camembert or even Evian water. “We decided to lower the price of products on which we were not competitive compared to other major retail brands.», Tells us Vincent Doumerc, general manager of Franprix, who adds that this price investment exceeds 5 million euros. Another way to attract customers, particularly young people: menus consisting of a dish (quiche or pizza), a dessert and a drink, for 5.5 euros. “It’s better and cheaper than at McDonald’s (whose menu prices range between 9 and 12 euros, editor’s note)” jokes the general manager. However, make no mistake: the prices at Franprix will never be those at Leclerc. “We provide a service to consumers right at their doorstep. The rent for our stores, located in the heart of city centers, has a cost“, argues Vincent Doumerc.

Not content with being a simple seller of food products, Franprix also focuses on the service offered to its customers in this new concept, called Oxygène: key boxes for property rentals, Vinted Go lockers to send and receive parcels, a luggage locker, umbrella loans in the event of a sudden downpour, the sale of an administrative kit to obtain your vehicle registration certificate, the rental of everyday products such as a video projector, a raclette machine or even a drill… All in a more attractive store, with imitation wood stickers for the wine section or crates for fruit and vegetables to give a “market” atmosphere.

Three test stores in Paris

Cost of the operation for this 260m2 store? 234,000 euros, or approximately 900 euros/m2. Two points of sale in addition to the one at Porte de Bagnolet will serve as a test for three months: one on Avenue Daumesnil in the 12th arrondissement, opened this Friday, June 28, and another on Rue Cardinet in the 17th arrondissement, whose inauguration is scheduled for mid-July. If the lights are green after three months, Franprix will move up a gear. While continuing to open new stores in areas where it is still relatively small, such as the Parisian districts of Bastille, St-Germain-des-Prés and Montparnasse, Franprix wants to renovate 500 stores with this new concept within 4 years. The brand’s goal? Increase sales by 10% in each remodeled point of sale.This is the equivalent of one more product purchased in each consumer’s basket.“, explains Vincent Doumerc. At the Porte de Bagnolet, the scores are exploding. The store’s turnover has jumped by 54% since its makeover last week…