Sequoia opens third organic supermarket in Brussels

On 7 October 2010 the big day arrived: the formal opening by Sequoia of its brand new 800 m² organic supermarket. It is situated 10 km to the south of the city centre of Brussels, Europe’s unofficial capital. An improvement in the availability of organics in Belgium’s capital is long overdue, and this new venture will demonstrate to politicians and EU employees just what organics are capable of. With their new store concept, the trio who own Sequoia are set to test a model that can replicated elsewhere. For the time being, they are gaining experience with their new shop. (Picture: Well-stocked, colourful display of vegetables in the new Sequoia store in Brussels)
In fact, this store in Waterloo was to have been opened in May of this year (see our earlier report), but the preparatory work was somewhat protracted. The operators of the Sequoia organic supermarkets, Vincent Muylle, Corinne Dumont and Brigitte Bruyninckx, took their time to plan and design the store, create 3-D models, and to choose the shop furnishings and the materials to be used. If they have their way, the shortage of attractive organic outlets in Belgium will be remedied in the near future. In the next ten years they plan to open around 30 new Sequoia-operated stores, some of which could be franchise businesses. (Picture on left: The owners Brigitte Bruyninckx, Vincent Muylle and Corinne Dumont)

The new store offers customers a comprehensive range of 8,000 articles, including many non-food items. At Sequoia you find a wide selection of 100 % organic bed sheets, mattresses made from natural materials, and a range of environmental games and books on cooking, nutrition and ecology. You can also buy natural textiles, animal food and highly efficient household equipment like juicers, mixers and steamers. Since this new specialist organic store aims to appeal in particular to families who do their shopping by car, more than 100 parking spaces have been provided.

The store is divided into different departments. Your first port of call is the fresh food section with fruit and vegetables. You then move on to the organic butcher, one of the focal points of the whole store, followed by the other food arrays and the natural cosmetics department that is designed round a counter where customers can seek advice.
In terms of the colour scheme (brown and green) and the materials used (painted furniture, beige flooring, spotlights and exposed timbers in some places), the store communicates an impression that is pleasant, contemporary and ecological. “The design is completely different from a traditional supermarket,” says Vincent Muylle. Information on the end of shelving is particularly good at catching the eye of passing customers, and that’s why price campaigns are usually posted there. In this case, they have used the space to post product information on new harvests, product innovations and interesting facts that customers find fascinating. (Picture on left: Beds, lamps, accessories)

The first Sequoia organic store was founded by the predecessors of the current owners in Uccle in the south of Brussels in 1988. It covers two storeys of 300 m² each. In those days, this specialist organic store was the first of its kind in the whole of Belgium. On the ground floor you find a wide range of food, food supplements and natural paints; on the first floor you find beds and bedding, books, gifts and some natural textiles. There is a large car park in front of the building. The footfall is 314 customers a day, with an average spend of 40 euros. The stock consists of more than 8,000 articles, and 100 to 150 new products are added every quarter.

The second Sequoia store (500 m²) was opened in 2005 in Stockel, a residential area on the eastern edge of Brussels. It had originally been founded on a nearby site in 1995. Now the store is going to be redesigned bit by bit to incorporate the new concept. Customer frequency is 329 a day, with an average spend of 28 euros. The total turnover of the company is 4.8 million euros, with the store in Stockel accounting for 40 % and the one in Uccle for 60 %.

According to the market research organization GfK, organic turnover in Belgium rose by 26 % in 2008, and in the previous year the rise was 15 %. Turnover increased from 305 million to 350 million euros. One of the reasons for this development may well have been the expansion of the product range in many shops. Moreover, the number of people who bought an organic product at least every ten days rose to 17 %. This group of frequent organic consumers accounts for
80 % of the total organic turnover. In 2009, the number of occasional organic customers went up from 79 % to 85 %. (Picture: Sequoia organic supermarket in Uccle/ Brussels)

Sequoia’s 3 organic supermarkets in Brussels

532 Chaussée de St Job – 1180 Uccle
101 rue de l’Eglise – 1150 Woluwe-Saint-Pierre
63 Chaussée de Bruxelles – 1410 Waterloo (picture)

http://www.sequoiashop.com