OUNI, the first organic grocery shop without packaging in Luxembourg, has so far withstood the headwinds. But its future is now in jeopardy.

The concept of zero packaging and zero waste, which has been the basis of OUNI’s activity since its creation five years ago, is a promising one and reflects a slow but inexorable evolution in the behaviour of consumers who are increasingly keen to become active consumers, able to make eco-responsible purchases closer to home. But the last two years have put a strain on the efforts made by everyone in the cooperative.

“The context was difficult, because barely three days after opening, we chose to close the Dudelange shop because of the restrictive measures in the context of the COVID epidemic,” recalls Julien Gannard, current chairman of the OUNI board of directors. “Indeed, at that time, even though we were an ‘essential’ shop, the fact that we were without packaging did not guarantee the health safety required by the authorities. We had to reorganise ourselves to be able to provide a takeaway and home delivery service to support our members and customers as best we could. This situation has come at a high cost to the cooperative, which was counting on the first sales of the Dudelange shop to make the investments necessary for the opening of the second site profitable.

A cooperative at half-mast

In the most difficult moments, OUNI was able to benefit from the support of the city of Dudelange, which did not, for example, charge rent. However, since its reopening, the southern grocery shop has been slow to find its customers, especially since the recovery is slow, as is the case for many local shops that are damaged by habits acquired during the confinement of online purchases in particular and by the chilliness due to the ambient instability.
The historic site on Rue Glesener, for its part, is deprived of part of its clientele who are still telecommuting and is not coping well with the deterioration of the climate which is making the Gare district less and less attractive, in spite of the tram, the work on which has also had a significant impact on its frequentation.
The cooperative is also looking for a manager who is able to give a new dynamic to the teams and members.

Replenishing its assets

OUNI needs new money and new members to face adversity. It has appealed to its cooperators, but is also looking to all those who would like to embark on this magnificent adventure in order to pursue its mission which, beyond selling without packaging, consists of raising awareness, educating and contributing to sustainable development, to a lifestyle that is more respectful of human values and of the planet that hosts us. To be a place of life and encounters, which encourages exchanges.
Its concrete demands are :
o Purchase of shares (100 € each),
o Shareholder loans (from 1 000 €): send an email to cooperative@ouni.lu for more information,
o Launching a crowdfunding campaign in the coming days,
o Come and shop at OUNI!