New organic supermarket "Bio-Gourmet" in Moscow

Moscow’s organic scene is expanding. In mid-December of 2006 year in the Ostozhenka neighborhood - in the very heart of the historical center of the city - appeared yet another wonderful focal point for those who value organic products – the ecological delicacies store “Bio Gourmet.”

Picture: Bio Gourmet

One could consider the opening of such a store in the center of Moscow the result of a combination of German ingenuity and a steadily growing Russian sense of well-being: two years ago, the German consulting company ITM (International Trade Marketing) worked on a project studying the Russian market and the preparedness of the Russian consumer for top quality organic products. The study resulted in the opening of a store, within which are located a number of small retail departments and a wine cellar, along with an eco-café with room for 30 guests.

The design of the store, worked out by Natalia Vladimirskaya and her studio, expresses perfectly the concept of the project, combining premium goods and the natural freshness of products, which are represented in a variety of ways.  In the opinion of the founder, for Russia to move forward successfully, products should be surrounded by a certain aura, considered necessary for overcoming the stereotype of bio-products as something grey, formless, and tasteless.

Naturally, this aura characterises the ambience on all three floors of the store – in the 250 m² halls, in the 150 m² eco-café, and in the wine cellar, with its characteristic aroma. When shoppers glance into the eco-café, where dishes are prepared exclusively from products found in the store, they will be convinced that eco-products are not only healthy but delicious.  Head chef Nikolai Bukrin and the editor of the magazine “Gastronom” Natalia Skvortsova became the brains behind this project, having worked out a special menu in which carefully balanced dishes harmonise wonderfully. The uniqueness of the cuisine offered in the café lies in the fact that the majority of the dishes are not subject to prolonged heating. Despite the short time it exists, the café has attracted regular clients, dropping in for both breakfast and dinner.

The product range of “Bio Gourmet” is in no way inferior to its “European brothers,” since it stocks more than 2000 certified organic products from different European countries.  In the store all product groups are represented, including fresh fruits and dairy products, fish, meat, meat products, and also a line of gluten-free products.  The variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic products deserves special attention.  The particular pride of this department is the 16 types of organic beer and the wide choice of bio-dynamic wines. The winery also includes traditional elite alcohol products: calvados, whiskey, wines from the leading houses.

While setting up the product ranges, the founders tried to anticipate all the needs of the consumer who has decided to make the full transition to organic nutrition. Therefore there are the same kind of very simple and easily accessible products as at a ’normal’ delicatessen: black truffles, foie gras, rare specialties, and so on. Despite the wide range of goods on sale, “Bio Gourmet” will be restocked in the near future so that eco-cosmetics and personal hygiene products will appear on the shelves.

Of course, putting together the product range was not without problems. People were warned about the idiosyncrasies of Russian legislation, which did not anticipate the admission of European certification. Because of this, certification of the goods took more than half a year; there were insignificant volumes of products from the majority of European suppliers and there was some scepticism in the relation of the Russian market.

The company acquires a large proportion of supplies for itself. However, for a few categories of goods it collaborates with Russian distributors who are beginning to include organics in their own ranges of goods.

“Bio Gourmet” enjoys the advantage of goods being supplied from Italy and France, although among the suppliers are also English, German, Austrian, and Dutch companies. Products are concentrated in the distribution center in Germany, and from there they make their way to Moscow.

The clientele targeted by the store is divided into three groups.  In the first group are people who have made the full transition to “eco” in all aspects of their lives: they take seriously their quality of life, preferring to live in ecologically rich regions and “clean homes”, and use organic products in food.  They are very familiar with the terms “organic,” “bio”, and “eco”, and make a point of buying these products.  It is surprising, but a sizeable proportion of Muscovites fall into this category. The second group is made up of consumers with a high level of income, giving preference to premium products. They don’t always understand the special characteristics of products on sale in the store, and therefore they often approach the staff with questions. Into the third group fall foreigners living in Moscow, those working in embassies, companies, representatives of foreign companies, and people with offices in Moscow. They are well informed about the quality of these products and are already accustomed to spending sizeable sums on nutrition. In such a way, in the opinion of the founders, the targeted consumer groups for organic products are sufficiently wide and multifaceted, and each category calls for a specific marketing approach.

Naturally, the originators of this project devoted a lot of attention to detail and training of personnel, which took place with the participation of German specialists. They prepared sales staff in such a way that they would be able to answer any question about each group of goods.  Seven sales staff work in the retail halls every day, each one a specialist in his or her own department. The founders of the project are looking to the future with optimism, and hope that in 2007 two more “Bio Gourmet” stores will open in Moscow.