La Vie Claire, a Pioneer Firmly Committed to Organic Products
La Vie Claire, a pioneer in the distribution of organic products in France, is now a major player in the organic retail sector. As the leading organic franchise in France, with a turnover of €324.5 million in 2023, the brand operates a network of 327 stores in 2024, each averaging 300 m² in size. These stores offer fresh products, groceries, non-food items, as well as fruits and vegetables.With over 70 years of experience and expertise, La Vie Claire provides a rich assortment of 6,000 references on average per store, including more than 2,000 private-label products. A central platform, based in Montagny in the Rhône region, manages 5,000 references to supply its stores and oversee all logistics operations.
La Vie Claire is committed to delivering high-quality organic products. Each item is developed, analyzed, and selected according to the company’s strict specifications and standards. The brand also actively supports the promotion of organic farming through its endowment fund, La Vie Claire – Eric Pelen, which backs local agricultural projects.La Vie Claire holds the Bioentreprisedurable® label, reflecting its strong commitments to sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
A New Tool to Strengthen La Vie Claire’s Supply Management
In 2017, amid rapid business growth, La Vie Claire turned to AZAP to enhance its supply chain management based on three key pillars: stock coverage, service level (i.e., stockout rate), and waste reduction (i.e., expired products).The company also sought a more user-friendly tool to anticipate its needs and secure raw materials from producers by providing them with forecasts and order projections, particularly for its private-label products.A request for proposals (RFP) was conducted among planning and forecasting software providers, allowing La Vie Claire to compare different methodologies and assess the usability of each tool in alignment with its specifications.
“What convinced us about AZAP’s solution was the support from their team, as well as the quality and user-friendliness of the modules designed to meet our needs,” explains Matthieu Giovanetti, Head of Fresh Produce Offer, Procurement & Supply Chain Coordination at La Vie Claire.
Managing Strong Demand Fluctuations
The organic products market has experienced significant turbulence in recent years. Before 2020, the sector was thriving, and La Vie Claire expanded its network by opening numerous stores. During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, this growth accelerated further, with a boom in small, conveniently located stores that were more accessible than hypermarkets.However, when lockdowns and curfews ended in 2021, the organic market collapsed, experiencing a sharp decline of at least 30% across all industry players. From the consumer’s perspective, the market became increasingly complex, with organic products available both in mass retail and specialized stores, alongside a growing preference for locally sourced and “reasoned” products. Overwhelmed by information, many organic consumers became unsure of where to shop.Since 2022, inflation has been significantly higher in large supermarkets than in smaller stores, leading to a narrowing price gap. This shift has provided a breath of fresh air to historical organic retailers like La Vie Claire, helping them regain some momentum.
-20% in Stock Levels and Halved Waste Rate, While Maintaining Service Levels
“The results we have achieved with AZAP are crucial for our supply management, especially in stock control. We were able to reduce inventory when demand declined and, conversely, increase safety stock to meet rising demand. As a result, we reduced our stock levels by 20% between 2022 and 2024,” explains Matthieu Giovanetti of La Vie Claire.He continues: “We also halved our stockout rate, which improved service quality for our stores. At the same time, we cut our waste rate in half at our central platform, reducing expired products. AZAP has enabled us to maintain a high level of service while keeping our stock levels efficient and qualitative.”
Matthieu Giovanetti also appreciates how user-friendly AZAP’s Forecasting and Upstream & Downstream Supply modules are: “A new supply planner joining the team can quickly familiarize themselves with the menus and different functionalities of the tool, which is a real advantage.”He concludes: “Working with AZAP consultants is always a pleasure—they are highly professional and responsive in finding solutions to our questions.”
Fabien Grattepain, CEO of AZAP, adds: “We are delighted with this successful collaboration with La Vie Claire and proud to bring our expertise in organic supply chain management to such a committed brand. We look forward to continuing our joint projects to drive even greater performance and success.”
