It was enough to think about it. At the restaurant, at the cinema, at the swimming pool, at the gym, at the show… Situations requiring proof of your health pass have multiplied in recent months. And if most of the inhabitants present a QR code saved on their smartphone, some tirelessly bring out a paper printout. Even if the essential sesame, folded in the bottom of a pocket or a handbag, ends up in a pitiful state. It is by observing them that Evolis, world leader in
card and badge printing solutionshad the idea of reproducing the sanitary passes on a plastic support, in the format of a bank card or a credit card.
To achieve this, the company based in Beaucouzé, near Angers, has developed a small printer connected to a mobile application called “Duplipass”. After scanning the QR code, the device delivers a ready-to-use Covid certificate in less than 20 seconds. “We did tests in the fall in two pharmacies to see if people were interested. And the results have exceeded expectations,” says Nathalie Clément, marketing group manager at Evolis.
“For the elderly but not only”
Encouraged by word of mouth, more than 200 local French shops (pharmacies, tobacconists, bakeries, etc.) have already placed an order for the equipment, which sold for 1,290 euros. The printed cards are then sold to customers at the price of 3 euros.
“Au thought that the solution was going to be aimed mainly at the elderly, confides the director of Evolis. But, in fact, the customer profile is much broader. There are those who aren’t comfortable with digital, those who have smartphone problems, those who don’t want to get bogged down by doing sports, those who are looking for an emergency solution…” It must be said that the card slips easily into a wallet or a purse, “it does not tear, nor is it afraid of water”. For reseller businesses, Dupliass also makes it possible to “provide customer service while generating revenue”, adds Nathalie Clément.
In Rezé, near Nantes, Patrick Parère, manager of a Pharmacy Le Gall, estimated to have sold at least 500 cards in the quarter. “We have a lot of requests, of all ages, confirms the apothecary. One out of two customers I talk to is interested. The practical side is very appreciated. Several told us that they wanted to use it for winter sports. »
Sales outside France (Germany, Italy, Belgium, etc.) have already taken place. “We are only at the beginning, rejoices the marketing manager of Evolis. Significant development is expected given the health situation that is here to stay. And if the health pass were to disappear, the printers could very well be converted to print other information. »
Evolis employs some 380 people, including around 200 in the suburbs of Angers.