In the run up to Christmas 2018, ESM is proud to present a recap of some of our biggest articles of the year, exclusively for Premium website subscribers. Back in the spring, we paid a visit to the new-look La Grande Épicerie de Paris, the second luxury food hall opened by LVMH in the French capital. This article first appeared in ESM Issue 3 2018.
As modernist author Mary Butts once remarked of Paris, “The Right Bank of the Seine belongs to the world, and the Left Bank to France.” Throughout the French capital’s history, there has emerged an invisible demarcation line between the wealthy ‘Rive Droite’ and the more bohemian ‘Rive Gauche’, once home to artists such as Rimbaud, Matisse, Picasso and Hemingway, who relished in its creative nuances.
Thus, when La Grande Épicerie – the food lovers’ paradise, located a stone’s throw from the Palais du Luxembourg – was to open a second outlet, on the other side of the Seine, in the 16th arrondissement – ça alors! – it, understandably, garnered plenty of attention, and not all of it positive.
However, five months on from its opening, the new outlet, in the grand surroundings of the former Franck et Fils department store on Rue de Passy, is fast developing a reputation similar to that of its older brother. After all, you would expect nothing less from LVMH, the luxury conglomerate that owns the gourmet food banner.
“We really wanted this to be a place where you can see what’s new, try some foods you haven’t experienced before, maybe have some lunch,” Agnès Renard, La Grande Épicerie de Paris project director tells ESM.
“That’s what we have with our first store, on Rue de Sèvres. That store is beside Le Bon Marché, and the thinking was, if you want to discover the latest in fashion, you visit Le Bon Marché, and if you want to see what’s on trend in food, you go to La Grande Épicerie.”
Living Facade
Even as you approach the store from the La Muette Métro station, as ESM did, it’s clear that the store intends to make a statement, with a ‘living facade’ developed by the architect, Perrine Bertin-Lefort – very different to the neoclassical buildings that adorn this part of Paris.
The original building was built in 1935, so the focus when developing it into a food store was to retain as many of the original features as possible, including the grand stairway that meanders through the store.
Unlike many other gourmet stores, natural light is also plentiful here. The top floor houses a restaurant, Le Rive Droite – pun intended – helmed by Mexican chef Beatriz Gonzalez, one of the city’s brightest culinary prospects.
“When we opened, we wanted to make it warmer and cosier than other food halls,” Renard explains. “Plus, because it is an old department store, the ceilings are not that high, so we really wanted to make sure we brought in as much light as possible.
“It’s a very different feeling to the original store – the counters are lower, we use old-fashioned and traditional furniture where possible. It’s really like a traditional épicerie in the countryside.”
Refrigeration in the store was supplied by CIAM, an Italy-based firm that specialises in supplying state-of-the-art food display cabinets shaped by expert craftsmen.
Food Lovers’ Paradise
Spread across four levels and covering around 2,800 square metres of space (compared to 3,500 square metres at its other location), La Grande Épicerie is every inch the gourmet food lovers’ paradise: well-stocked fresh counters, a wine cellar to die for (with vintages ranging from €7 to €4,500), a ‘deluxe’ section featuring the finest foie gras and truffles, and a myriad of aromas – fresh coffee, chocolate, bakery – blending seamlessly as you make your way around the store.
“When it comes to food, people who visit a store generally need to buy something, or to organise a dinner,” says Renard. “Here, we try to offer more than the boring ‘filling the fridge’ part of shopping, and highlight the enjoyment of food.
“Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s just a pleasure to make your way around the store and see what’s new. It’s not a museum, but, in a way, it’s more of an exhibit.”
There’s also a growing private-label range called, as you might expect, La Grande Épicerie, which started with about 1,300 SKUs and continues to grow, mainly in ambient food categories – the jams and preserves are particularly popular.
It also offers the group the opportunity to offer some degree of ‘value’ in what is essentially a luxury, high-end marketplace.
“With our private label, we are a little less expensive,” says Renard, “but the quality is at the highest level. We have to ensure that the products are of the best quality, because, at the end of the day, it’s our name on the brand, La Grande Épicerie.”
Creating The Experience
A novel feature is the ability, in many of the departments, to take a seat at one of the many counters and enjoy a glass of wine or a pastry, enhancing the experiential element of the store.
“We don’t compare ourselves to Carrefour,” says Renard. “We know how long people are spending in the store, that they are going from the fish shop to the cheese counter, and maybe enjoying a glass of wine. We want this store to be an experience.
“We have to deliver excellence and enhance the customer journey. If you just come here to buy products, you could just as easily buy them at Carrefour, but that’s not what we’re about.” Mais non!
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
