[In the picture] Monoprix reveals trump card for Belgian expansion: funshopping

French supermarket chain Monoprix has finally opened its first Belgian store. RetailDetail went to have a look, and saw that differentiation is key for Monoprix’ planned Belgian expansion (with at least ten locations in the coming years).

Surprising combination

Stepping inside the Monoprix in Waterloo, customers immediately see the fresh and convenience food products on the right – including a noteworthy cheese counter. At the same time, they find the women’s fashion and lingerie corner on the left. A somewhat surprising combination, but this is typical of the French retailer: “Everything under one roof is the core of the Monoprix concept: the chain focuses on food, fashion, care and decoration. For Belgium, this is indeed exceptional: we are actually competing with Zara and with Maisons du Monde as well as with Delhaize”, Arnaud Schockaert explains. He is the Managing Director of Belgian franchise partner Transversale, which until now has mainly operated as a fashion agency – but wants to diversify.

Schockaert realises that the market is very competitive, but stresses that this concept is innovative for Belgium: “We have obviously ordered the necessary market studies, which show that this should work. We see expansion opportunities for both Monoprix and Monop’, in a small dozen locations over the next five to ten years.” These will come first in the French-speaking part of the country, but may also expand to the Dutch-speaking North: “We will have to adapt the monolingual French labels if we do so, but so do franchisees in other countries.” Waterloo is already the 138th store for Monoprix outside France.

10 % local offer

Monoprix Waterloo has opened in a 1336 sqm property in Centre 115, a shopping park in the centre of the town that also houses H&M, Zara, Zara Kids, Damart and Women’secret. The store is partly located on the street side, the tall windows letting in plenty of natural light. On the ground floor, customers will find food, women’s fashion and Beauty/Care. On the first floor are corners for children’s fashion (one of the retailer’s strengths), decoration and tableware. Customers can also rest in an area with tables here, and a terrace will open later this year.

This shop offers some 10,000 references: 60 % food, 40 % non-food. The range is almost entirely identical to the French offer, but 10 % is local. Flowers, for example, come from a florist in Brussels. There are also a few Belgian wines in the otherwise mainly French wine cellar. Monoprix would like to expand that range: wine is a spearhead for the chain.

Three private labels

In food, the three private label brands Monoprix, Monoprix Gourmet and Monoprix Bio are the retailer’s not-so-secret powerful weapon, as it aims for differentiation. 50 % of the food offering in this Belgian shop is from those private labels, much more than the 30 to 40 % that French shops carry.

There are stark differences per sector: in textiles, everything is from the private label brands, while the beauty and parapharmacy departments almost exclusively carry A-brands. Typical are the collaborations the retailer sets up with external experts, like well-known fashion designers. The baguette was developed with Frédéric Lalos, who was voted “meilleur ouvrier (best artisan baker) de France”.

Monoprix makes clear it is not a discounter: value for money and shopping pleasure are paramount. “Les courses plaisir”, as the French call it: fun shopping, in other words, as opposed to the weekly chore of shopping. Judging by the huge interest during the first opening day, the (often rather wealthy) people of Waterloo seem to like Monoprix’ proposition.