Super Cafoutch, a cooperative and participative supermarket, is an alternative to mass distribution where customers are also joint owners of the store.
Super Cafoutch is a cooperative and participative supermarket project, an alternative to mass distribution. It is the first of its kind in Marseille (start of the project in 2016).
A cooperative and participatory supermarket is a supermarket whose users are at the same time the owners, the customers, and the volunteers. They choose the products and set the prices themselves. Similar initiatives are being implemented in other French cities, New York was the first place where this type of supermarket was tested.
Consumers, therefore, own the supermarket by taking shares in the consumer cooperative. They are the ones who decide on the main strategic directions of the project. 80% of the tasks related to the operation of the supermarket are carried out by volunteer members, each of whom agrees to participate 3 hours per month. This operation makes it possible to reduce costs and therefore offer lower selling prices and sell quality products at fair prices for all. The Super Cafoutch aims to offer the widest possible range of everyday products while having the vocation of remaining an ethical company, being respectful of the environment, and promoting the local producers and economy.
The regional authority, the National Energy Agency, the Commune of Marseille and the Environment and Energy Management Agency have supported the project. Now the project is funded by users / owners.
Resources needed
The project was funded at the begining by the regional authority and the Environment and Energy Management Agency. The project team has two permanent employees. For the necessary cost of 80 000€, the project received 55,000€ in funding.
Evidence of success
More than 500 members have joined the project and the supermarket is currently in the testing phase (2018-2020).
Difficulties encountered
The change of scale for supercafoutch requires installation in larger premises (800 m2), and therefore additional costs. It is difficult to find banks that agree to finance companies with cooperative governance.
Potential for learning or transfer
This supermarket makes it possible to mobilize citizens around a different way of consuming: local farmers engaged in organic farming, ethical trading companies and companies engaged in the bulk trade.
The implementation of this type of project involves skills in the animation of networks of citizens and entrepreneurs.
The cooperative stewardship of the project makes private banking support complicated, which implies the need for support from local authorities when the project is started.
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Tags: Circular economy, Citizens, Community
