It provides vitamins to small businesses

By providing the artisans of mouth access to the Web, Elsa Hermal, founder of Epicery.com, opens new markets.

Who has never dreamed to be delivered without moving from his couch, a side of beef matured by his butcher of the neighborhood, a book of shots of the scoop nearby and get a bottle of Moulis in the wine shop of the street-side ? Despite the explosion in the number of enterprises of the "food-tech" - these start-ups that put technology at the service of power - there was no way of shopping online for small local businesses. As this is precisely what Elsa Hermal needed, she decided to create it. After several years at LVMH, Pernod Ricard and then in the world of start-up, this graduate of the IESEG dreamed to fly with its own wings.

The idea of the app Epicery germinated in 2015 following a meeting, at an event, "start-up weekend", with the serial-entrepreneur Edouard Morhange, who subsequently became his partner. In order to transform their intuition into a project, they are in the streets. "We had to understand the expectations and needs of the merchants in order to build our offering with them," she says her voice slightly veiled. It was necessary, in particular, that it is simple to use." At the end of 2016, so here is the first partners with a shelf on which is displayed the commands. With a click, they report that it is ready. A provider of delivery, "green", the vehicle adapted to the products ordered, then passes to remove them, to deliver them in less than an hour with the client.

She has been able to convince investors of renowned

"No stock, no warehouse, no loss. It is the relevance and the lightness of our model that has seduced investors", explains the entrepreneur. No question of relying on its own internal funds to develop : it had to go fast to not make double. The choice to preserve in-house technical development and customer service required him also to recruit quickly. With his partner - and a pair of sneakers with glitter lucky - she has convinced players weight : Kima Ventures, the fund of Xavier Niel, as well as some of the founders of Molotov and Sales-private and has managed to raise 700,000 euros to start.

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In 2017, Monoprix, champion of the trade of proximity, has taken a minority stake in the capital of Epicery. What scare the craftsmen already involved in the adventure ? "On the contrary, replied Elsa Hermal. The presence of the brand attracts the customer on the site in the same way as in a street and of benefit to all." Visitors Epicery can now add to their basket a selection of articles Monoprix, and those of Monoprix.fr are offered fresh products of the shops of their neighbourhood. "We are proof that the digital is often perceived as a threat by centre-cities, can on the contrary contribute to their giving back of the breath", slips the young woman.

The same price in store and online

Epicery.com has managed to recreate online the friendly atmosphere of a shopping street. The artisans are photographed in front of their shop, making the purchase path very much alive. It is not surprising that already 60,000 users, of which 6000 regular customers, are left to convince. To the extent that the commodities are offered at the same price as in store and the delivery costs only 3 euros. The company earns its living by charging a commission of 25% from merchants, which are there thanks to the increase of the average basket - at a first it goes from 12 euros when the client moves on to 40 euros when you order on the site. They are now more than 400 have joined the project (350 to Paris and petite couronne, 50 in Lyon). Epicery, which does not communicate on its sales, does not stop to grow. Elsa Hermal plans to conquer a dozen cities within the next few years. And it is Bordeaux that will be in 2019 the next stage of his tour de France gourmet.

Epicery in figures

15 employees

400 artisans partners.

6000 regular customers

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>>> GO further : "Secrets of entrepreneurs grow their business" : Hapsatou Sy (Hapsatousy.com), Elsa Hermal (Epicery.com), Patrick Lévy-Waitz (Freeland, foundation Work Otherwise), Laurent Munerot (President of the regional chamber of trades and crafts of Ile-de-France), Dominique Restino (President of the CCI of Paris, president of the French Association of institutes of the mentoring, entrepreneurship and vice-president of the Agence France-Contractor). With the exceptional participation of Julien Denormandie, State secretary of territorial cohesion. Conference held at the Salon EMS October 1, 2018 at 12 o'clock, at the Palais des Congrès de Paris, in partnership with The Express.