Somaya, all smiles, is delighted to bring to life “a supermarket that makes sense, local, intelligent and cheaper! “One Friday a month, she “does her piaf”, Indispensable Participation in the Operation of this store like no other. The Owl Coop brings together funny birds, convinced that changing consumption patterns is everyone’s business. It nested two years ago at the foot of the Toulouse Media Library and offers all the departments of a classic distribution brand: fresh produce, canned food, drinks, cosmetics… but is distinguished by a totally cooperative model based on the participation of its 1,900 members, both customers, employees and owners.
The only prerequisite is to be over sixteen years old. To access the shelves and become a contributor, the future “Chouettos” acquires between one and ten social shares depending on their income – the share costs ten euros – and undertakes to give a little of their time, at least three hours per month. . “Everyone can resell their shares when they want,” says Chrystel Gérard, pioneer of the project.
Local, supportive and ethical
No hierarchy among the contributors, even if this morning it is André, “great owl”, who supervises the deliveries and plays with his title: “it’s just a one-time allocation. I coordinate the day’s team for checkout, shelving, sorting out use-by dates…” The 2,455 references give pride of place to ethical products such as the bulk section, which is 99% organic. But the store also wants to be social and supportive, with economical prices: “we apply a fixed margin of 25% on all items, which allows us to be on average 10 to 15% cheaper than a conventional supermarket” , explains Gilles, assigned to the controls.
This loyal contributor would like to raise awareness. “Many think that moving away from mass distribution is complicated and expensive, he regrets. This is rarely true! The way we shop has a direct effect on health and the wallet, in addition to impacting the environment. The Amis de la Chouette Coop association, which oversees the cooperative, brings this commitment to life through fun educational events, such as June 25 at the Utopia cinema in Borderouge: the store will organize a snack for children during the broadcast from the movie Potato !, to bring the youngest to ecology while having a great time.