For the next few weeks, Franprix will be stocking five of its Paris shops with the famous Krispy Kreme doughnut brand. Identical to those offered in its 19 outlets, the doughnuts are prepared in the workshop of Krispy Kreme’s flagship in the Westfield Forum des Halles, then delivered fresh each morning to Franprix in a branded stand installed at the shop entrance. An ideal way to tempt customers at any time of day. Customers can help themselves to individual items or choose a box of 6 or 12, either pre-packaged, or to mix and match from the recipes that have made the chain such a success since its arrival in France in December 2023. They also have access to limited editions, depending on the events and highlights organised by Krispy Kreme.
The brand experience is therefore similar to that offered by its own outlets. It is a relocated, but not downgraded, experience, reminiscent of department store shops-in-shops, which allow brands that want to establish themselves there to reproduce their identity codes and shopping experience. In five years’ time, if the current test proves successful, there should be almost 500 Krispy Kreme units in supermarkets.
Far from being anecdotal, Franprix’s initiative reveals the kind of local retailer we will see in the future: one offering brands from other sectors as proof of its empathy and ability to capture the spirit of the times. It is a way of enriching the customer’s shopping experience and stimulating unexpected desires that are likely to change their habits.
The new challenge facing the retail sector is to create places of surprise and wonder, rather than just places of familiarity and repetition, driven by the question of price and need. During the health crisis, Franprix had already stood out by housing Hema in order to meet the demand for household accessories from its customers, forced to make do with closed shops… The success of a retailer depends not only on its geographical location and the traffic that it can generate, but also on its ability to avoid always being in the place usually assigned to it.
When a promise is reduced to low prices, consumption is confined to need. When it offers the unexpected, it grows into pleasure and want.