During the 38th edition of the Franchise Expo fair in Paris, the site Toute la Franchise spoke with Didier Cotte, CEO of L’Eau Vive.
The chain of organic stores is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. It stood out from the other specialized stores thanks to a key factor: bread making. Additionally, the in-store advisors are trained to help customers by giving them advice on health and the well-being of the planet.
In recent years, the company developed a few concepts such as Do it Yourself, products without packaging or plastic, in order to limit pollution as much as possible.
When asked what makes his company different from supermarkets, Cotte explains that “supermarkets (...) jumped into an already moving train. They have been selling conventional products for years. We never sold any. So, I would say that we have the legitimacy and we target active consumers, people who want to be actors of their consumption, actors of the environment through their consumption, through their purchases, and this is one of our differential factors.”
L’Eau Vive has 70 stores, half of which in franchise. Didier Cotte notes that he wishes to create a link with all the partners. “We want to build a company, a brand, a motivation of active consumers, a motivation to give in order to assign meaning to the franchise. We really want each franchisee to have a meaning to their lives, and to enjoy the financial benefits of opening a store.”
Source: toute-la-franchise.com