Would This Fly

[Akhtar]

I have been browsing this forum with eagerness over the past few weeks. I have  been on holiday in France many times over the past few years with my wife and children and couldn't help but notice the lack of convenience stores in small villages throughout the areas I visited. There seemed to be lots of small shops in villages which had been closed down.

From the number of posters on this forum and other forums who are English or should I say British there must be a growing demand for UK type convenience stores in France.

I am about to close a property deal in East London which will net me a considerable amount of working capitol to re invest in another business venture.

My thoughts were that I could buy up say a hundred retail properties with accomodation attached throughout rural France, have them refitted and lease them to shop keepers from the UK.

I have already done some research on this and have approached some of the convenience store publications in the UK with a view to advertising with them.

Plan B is to set up a company to supply these retail outlets with the merchandise they sell. If a large number of retail outlets were to be stocked on a regular basis then the transportation would prove to be cost effective. This could include third party shop keepers who required stock on a regular basis.

I would like to gauge peoples interest in such a venture and take on board any comments or suggestions you may have however negative or positive.

Regards

[Blanche Neige]

".............notice the lack of convenience stores in small villages throughout the areas I visited. There seemed to be lots of small shops in villages which had been closed down"

I think you will find that as in the U.K., many of these little stores just cannot compete with the big supermarkets. More and more people own cars and it is just more convenient to drive to the nearest Supermarket and buy everything under one roof.

The bar / epicerie in our village is supplied by Casino who also supply the mini supermarket in the next village. Our store sells newspapers, bottled gas, it is a bar and general store and has a daily bread delivery but I do not know how the owner makes a living.

I think you need to do some very careful research.

Bonne Chance

 

[Teamedup]

Casino's and Spars are all over France. If sustainable remain open, if not they shut. We used to have a Spar in our village and eventually it shut, but the Casino does OK.

Remember, all the tourist trade and second home owners in some regions. You could end up with next to no trade for quite a few months of the year and how does one stock etc if there might or might not be a clientele willing to come in and pay the usually higher prices charged in the mini marts.

[Akhtar]

Thanks so far for the replies, I am fully aware that the project will have to be researched fully. I am not about to risk the best part of a million pounds without being fairly certain that the business will not flourish. It is not the business I am in.

I plan to take our motor home to France in the new year and tour round the country having a look at the regions aswell as the towns and villages located within these regions. I aslo need to look at transport links, routes from ferry ports etc. This idea is obviously in it's infancy currently. It will also be some months before I have access to the sort of money needed for this project thus giving me and my staff time to look at everything in more detail.

Keep the replies coming.

Happy Holiday

[Nick Trollope]

    Before you risk any money, I suggest you consider your maths;

100 retail premises at (say, a typical) 140.000€ a piece = 14,000,000€ = (say) £9,500,000.

I rather doubt if you would be able to raise £8.5M on a scheme like this (believe me, I've tried!).

[Patf]

I don't know about the rest of France, but in the SW there are several

british owned shops selling the usual UK stock, as well as market

stalls. We have a friend who has a market stall. She works very hard

and her husband drives over regularly to UK for stock. There seems to

be a mutually supportive network of those in the trade. Best of British

is one such chain - they have about 12 shops. Most of the supermarkets

also stock UK groceries now. Pat.

[Iceni]

In our nearest town of 550+ souls  (but well less than 600 including those of us who live at Lieu dit addresses) we have the following:

Hairdresser

baker

hardware store

flower shop

general grocery shop

2 wine sellers

2 bars

2 restos

2 garages (repairs etc)

1 petrol station

1 butcher

1 electrical shop

1 pharmacy

1 doctor

1 large paper shop

I general repair shop (all this on the main street and square) 

Schools etc etc - our need for another shop is not at issue.  - Not a Casino or Shoppi in sight, all local traditional shops.

Our nearest large town has on the very odd occasion had a small stall of british goods - but I don't think that there is much demand. There are quite a few Brits here but almost all of us have got into the habit of buying what is cost effective - French.

I came from a British village with 2000+ houses (so I suppose 5000 people) and there was 3 pubs, one small co-op and a part time postoffice - 2 garages though. Perhaps the small Brit villages would be a better bet as the lack of public transport in our village made an emergency food requriement a car drive through snarled up traffic to the nearest supermaket - walk for what seemed miles, que for ages and then drive back - now everything I can possibly imagine is 2 km away and with so few people there is time for a chat with everyone we pass. It might cost slightly more to buy the food in a French village BUT the lack of time and petrol must make it at least break even.

I am one of those terrible people who think that if you really really cannot live without British food then France might not be the ideal place to live.

[Dave&Olive]

hi

        would just like to say that it has been proved that the bumbble bee cannot fly, it is quote mathematicaly imposiable for it to fly ....so

                         who dares wins

                                             dave

[Blanche Neige]

"From the number of posters on this forum and other forums who are English or should I say British there must be a growing demand for UK type convenience stores in France."

 

Why?

 

Surely one goes to France to experience all things French?

[Jc]

Like the man in Spain seen eating a Roast dinner and drinking bitter by the pint who said"I didn't come here for the food or the beer,I came for the weather!".

[james419]

Unfortunatly village stores are a dying breed in the UK - I worked as abuyer for both Nisa-Todays and also United Norwest Co-op the largest independent mpvement outside CWS, the number of stores being bought out by the multiples is increasing - Grandways - Healds etc. the market is equally as comptitive over here and appealing to a niche market is very unlikely to earn you a lving.

In our part of northern Creuse some super markets have very smal and expensive english ranges 15-30 items - some have nothing at all, if there was a real market they would increase their ranges - in the more densley popoulated enclaves there are already good shopping opportunites from existing business.

I wish you well in your thoughts but think you might have more enjoyment out of buying a property and enjoying the lifestylean bank the balance

In the mean time Happy Hunting for 2006

James

[Blanche Neige]

Like the man in Spain seen eating a Roast dinner and drinking bitter by the pint who said"I didn't come here for the food or the beer,I came for the weather!".

Ah well JC ...........................each to his own[:|]

[Quillan]

Having read through the thread I was wondering, does anyone really miss not having English food?

Personally I like the odd treat, fruit gums, baked beans and sandwich spread but as for day to day living I have to manage without and I am now quite used to it. Yes I can get a Macky Dee if I really want but it's a bit of drive and I can't really be arsed. I have got quite used to eating French food and I have to say that I feel a bit more healthier for it. The salad stuff is really good. I never eat salad in the UK, it all tastes the same to me, bland. Here I love it.

I wouldn't mind a 'corner shop' but mainlly to use in the same ay as I would in the UK, for things I can't get after the French shops have closed. I don't think I would be interested in a late closing shop that sold UK food.

Lets face it if you really want English stuff you can get it. Even the French supermarkets are selling English stuff now. Plus there are already at least two well established outlets in France for English food one of which has a deal to supply Carrafor (probably wrong spelling).

As to the original poster, £1M is not going to get you very far I am affraid, try £10M. The other issue is of course the cost of employing staff in France which is way more expensive than the UK when it comes to employers contributions.

The other thing to be honest, I am probably wrong in this (I often am), but I am wondering if the original poster is having a wind up. There is something here that does not sit right with me.

[Nick Trollope]

[quote user="Quillan"]

The other thing to be honest, I am probably wrong in this (I often am), but I am wondering if the original poster is having a wind up. There is something here that does not sit right with me.

[/quote]

Aye, that seems plausible...

[Tony F Dordogne]

Thought it was just me - somebody who only joined the Forum on 24 December has been browsing through it for the past few weeks??????

A string of apparently Asian owned corner shops across France catering to the Brits ..............

If this is a wind-up, just think the person doing it needs to get a life rather than playing silly games on here.

[0zeb100ddMMyyyy0Falseen-USTrue]

Hello

I really miss a really good pork pie and dry cured bacon. Maybe you could open a shop selling these.

Regards

[vindaloo]

As one of a few (or perhaps many) who have lost their old name it may not be strange to have joined (rejoined?)  this month. In my case, being on the forum for 3 years but still a new member.