Even though sales have tripled in three years*, bulk has even more growth potential – provided that major changes are made to the current customer experience, which does not yet meet our best requirements (e.g.: in terms of how straightforward it is, the pleasure that customers get in serving themselves or how easy it is for them to get hold of information about what they have bought once they have left the store). And our store teams come up against a significant number of operational difficulties (such as maintaining or replenishing the shelves).
In partnership with the teams working alongside the NextGen RetAll Polytechnic chair, which analysed more than 70 submissions from 17 different countries (including France, India, the US, the UK and Italy), 15 applications were shortlisted. Then on 17 November, the people behind these applications got to pitch them to Alexandre Bompard and Eric Labaye (President of École Polytechnique). Five solutions were chosen at a final held on 23 December:
Jean Bouteille has developed a solution that can be used with a wide variety of liquids sold in bulk – of any viscosity. The system involves a traditional compressed-air bag-in-box system, meaning zero cleaning and zero maintenance required for the piping.
Digi has launched a smart scales system – it uses integrated sensors to recognise products so that customers no longer have to select the products when they are weighing them.
Smart vrac et A demain have developed a dry bulk distribution solution: products are weighed at source, so customers can monitor the price and the quantity that they are getting in real time. It also features a reusable bin for use with a wide variety of products (such as semolina and flour).
Petrel commerce circulaire is a collaboration between the brands making up the Institut de liaisons des entreprises de consommation (France's consumer business liaison institute), an equipment manufacturer a packaging company and a professional washing specialist. They have developed a system for selling a wide selection of products that are packaged in washable and reusable bins. Petrel uses a dedicated tracking system for operational and digital monitoring. The products are sold in reusable Tefal packaging.
Mayam has developed a tracking system that makes it easier to manage shelves in stores. Customers can bring their own container and scan a QR code to get all the information they need about their products.
These five solutions for products sold in bulk will be tested instore.
* between 2017 and 2020