Experience and Indulge: Coop’s New Store Format
In March 2019 Coop launched a brand-new store format in Lausanne: at the city’s former “Kursaal-Théâtre” the first FOOBY Store opened to the public. Here everything revolves around culinary crafts, regional origin and sustainability. Here you can see fish being smoked, coffee roasted, bread baked. Sausages are made and wine tastings are hosted. Experts advise interested shoppers. Regional producers showcase exclusive specialities. The FOOBY Concept Store is both a convenience shop and atelier at the same time.
Joos Sutter, Chief Executive Officer, Coop Group, © Coop Switzerland
March saw Coop instil the former “Kursaal-Théâtre” with new life opening an all new retail concept. “Our new FOOBY Store perfectly embodies the philosophy of the FOOBY brand”, explains Joos Sutter, Chairman of the Board at Coop, and goes on to say: “You can feel, smell and taste culinary crafts here – like in the olden days.”
In Switzerland Coop is a household name. The Coop Group looks back on more than 150 years of history. What started as a small consumers’ cooperative has developed into a multi-national retail and wholesale undertaking today. February 2017 saw Coop launch the culinary platform FOOBY – as a source of inspiration for all those who love cooking and enjoy food with fresh ingredients but without the time involved. Incidentally, FOOBY is also a store!
Fine and Fresh – Handcrafted
At the new store FOOBY becomes an experience and is given its own product line. All the products made on site, such as sourdough baguettes, farmers’ sausages, goat cheese rolls, granola or Poke Bowls, are offered under the FOOBY brand and will only be available at the store. “The range of freshly made products on site is enormous,” says Joos Sutter. “Anyone looking for a really special ingredient for dinner or lunch with that special something will definitely get their money’s worth here.»
Regional and Sustainable Specialities
The FOOBY Store also doubles as a stage for some 20 regional producers. The range is enhanced with specialities right from Suisse romande: the flour for the bakery is supplied by Moulin d’Echallens, the beer by the up-and-coming breweries La Nebuleuse and White Frontier from Western Switzerland, and the syrups is supplied by La Suisserie as well as Jardins des Monts. At the FOOBY Store sustainability is the name of the game: to the tune of 70% of the products are sustainable.
Inspiration in a Theatre Setting
The FOOBY Store in Lausanne is all about culinary delights and inspiration. Even non-food items are on offer. Selected kitchen aids make cooking in your own kitchen an experience. In the flower corner shoppers can find the matching table-top decorations. Seating invites them to while away their time because the original theatre setting has remained unchanged: the frescoes in the theatre room were restored and stage and gallery were repurposed. FOOBY has breathed new life into the historic building with a fresh culinary offering.
photos: Coop Switzerland
Coop press release, March 6 2019
