The incredible success of the Toulouse start-up “Le Drive Tout Nu” which recruits the former CEO of Picard Frozen Foods.
A Toulouse start-up of a short circuit supermarket with zero waste has reached the million euro raised in its operations to open capital to customers. Success with the arrival of former Pickard CEO Kathy Collart Geiger to the board of directors.
The news is Tuesday, February 13, evening. The online crowdfunding campaign “Le Drive tout nu” has surpassed one million euros, while it still runs until the end of the month. Already more than 426 investors have so much faith in the project of Salomé and Pierre Géraud that they wanted to participate in the venture. The couple’s concept is simple: create a network of zero-waste drive-thru supermarkets with local or organic produce at affordable prices.
All in reusable packaging (glass jars, canvas bags, etc.) that customers can bring back. Hence the name: “The products are naked and transparent about their origins” smiles Salome, who is also happy with the small impact generated by such an offbeat name.
Supermarket in short circuit
Today, the company has five drives with more than 2000 references and 250 to 300 local manufacturers. One in Lille and Bordeaux and the other in Toulouse. But they are multiplying very quickly: a new drive-thru is coming to Portet-sur-Garonne in April and a classic (or almost) supermarket connected to a drive-thru will appear in Labage in March, instead of “L’Eau. “Store. Live longer”. Of the 800m², half will be dedicated to walk through aisles. Especially with this opening, the company will be able to boast of being on all fronts: supermarket, take-out and home delivery. “We want to show that we can do this without changing habits or that We can consume responsibly without any obstacles! And positioning ourselves was important, 92% of sales in the grocery market take place in supermarkets” summarizes Salomé.
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To support this development, the team has just welcomed Cathy Collart Geiger, former director of Picards Surgels who worked for Auchan and Intermarché, to the board of directors. “His arrival marks a turning point. With his skills, his expertise and his network, without forgetting his kindness and his energy, we hope to change the scale in terms of infrastructure.” In addition, there are plans to raise other funds, especially for the end of 2024. “This will allow us to continue to grow and establish ourselves in other metros” explains the co-founder. The start-up shows a 59% increase in turnover in the fourth quarter of 2023, to a total of 2.2 million euros in 2023.
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A Toulouse success story
If supermarkets haven’t revolutionized it (yet), it’s already a Toulouse success story. The first drive opened in 2018 in Büzel, Salome (former director of nursing homes) was 27 years old and Pierre (former agricultural engineer) was 30 years old. It was then the first zero waste drive in France. Since then, the company has grown, benefited from fundraising of 5 million in 2022 and supports 45 people, with new jobs to come. “Our community, so enthusiastic and supportive, has a lot to do with this success. In addition, clients very regularly asked us if they could join the capital of the company. “
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For Salome, this indicates a desire to change consumption patterns. “Environmental issues need to be raised. Especially for IPCC warnings or AGEC anti-waste legislation and the solitary economy. We must show that we can change the world through business. This is neither a terrorist approach, nor a hippie one, everyone should be able to get local, quality food without packaging”.
