French department store/supermarket operator Monoprix will open its doors to Starbucks ‘salons du cafÉ’ in some of its flagship stores, starting with one in Lyon and one in Paris. For Starbucks, it’s an opportunity to break out into a wider French market; for Monoprix it’s a gamble on whether French shoppers will see it as a new service or as an assault on beloved traditions.
Starbucks has 22,000 outlets worldwide, mostly in the U.S. and in Asia, where it’s considered a luxury brand, and Monoprix clearly hopes it will be seen that way in its stores. Dominique Benoit, a Monoprix executive, says that the move is an example of giving customers more: “We are looking forward to surprising our customers with an innovative and premium service—the highest quality coffee and Starbucks experience.”
At present, Starbucks has about 100 outlets in France. The Monoprix connection may give them a wider audience if it pays off, and Monoprix has plans, if successful, to extend the deal to more stores. Monoprix’s stores range from full-scale department stores with food departments as well to supermarkets with limited clothing and other merchandise to smaller “Daily Monop” stores that are like bodegas with a coffee counter.
