TRANSCRIPTION – MARCEL&FILS

Anthony Guillen, Director, LBO Expertise

When you see all of this fresh produce, it really makes your mouth water!

Emmanuel Dufour, Founding Chairman, marcel&fils

I’m pleased we’re discussing this topic, because our goal is really to rouse our customers. The customer’s journey starts with appealing colours and a feeling of well-being inside the shop. We’re lucky enough to have a lot of seasonal products and the aim of marcel&fils is really to entice epicureans. And with regard to the original and founding promise of organic produce – centred around health and the environment – we really want to enhance the taste and sharing aspect – congenial meals around a plentiful table and not just the militant approach.

Anthony Guillen, Director, LBO Expertise

That’s exactly what attracted us to marcel&fils; this distinction whereby organic produce and flavour are combined. And coming to marcel&fils, is, by nature, a committed act, but it’s also about seeking to satisfy the tastebuds as much as possible.

Emmanuel Dufour, Founding Chairman, marcel&fils

For us, organic produce is the cornerstone – a key pledge between our producers and consumers. No chemical inputs and a clear commitment. Other labels beat about the bush and in general do business and tread lightly. Organic produce comes along with a very clear promise and hence, we really want to please our customers, we want to give them good food and reciprocity, with as many local products as possible. We work with a very sizable group of small-scale producers. We collect the products from them. They’re harvested by hand that morning and can potentially end up on our customers’ plates the following day. That’s marcel&fils.

Anthony Guillen, Director, LBO Expertise

That’s what you mean by ‘freshly harvested’.

Emmanuel Dufour, Founding Chairman, marcel&fils

Precisely.

Local produce represents around 25% of our revenue. And French origin, more broadly speaking, represents 90% of our produce in total. And we’re not limiting ourselves from going any further. When we feel that there are better products to be had beyond our borders, we source them from neighbouring countries. Because the aim is to offer our customers the best produce, wherever it comes from.

Anthony Guillen, Director, LBO Expertise

This offer is now available at our 60 points of sale. There were only about 30 when we started working together in 2021. This development strategy has proved highly effective and we have acquired other chains, giving them the marcel&fils brand and concept.

Emmanuel Dufour, Founding Chairman, marcel&fils

Yes, we’ve really come a long way together. In two and a half years, we’ve expanded out of the South-East region. As you said, we have around sixty points of sale. And we’re hungry for more. We’re not going to stop here. We’re going to pursue this ambitious growth plan with Weinberg Capital Partners.

Anthony Guillen, Director, LBO Expertise

We’re also delighted to support marcel&fils.