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Co-owner Ms Fourmont says Quartier works with a French chef to offer house-made pates (above), foie gras terrines, fresh soups and frozen meals at the stores in Serangoon Garden Way and at Pasarbella. One of the draws is its range of artisanal cheeses.
Quartier - One stop for authentic French branded foods
78 Serangoon Garden Way
Opening hours: Tues to Sun, 8.30am to 8pm
Pasarbella @The Grandstand
200 Turf Club Road
Opening hours: Sun to Thurs, 9.30am to 7.30pm, Fri and Sat, 8.30am to 8pm
When French supermarket Carrefour pulled down its shutters in Singapore in 2012, the French expatriate community found it difficult to find products from home.
"Finding French products in Singapore in one shop at a reasonable price was close to 'Mission Impossible'," says Marie-Caroline Fourmont, marketing and communications manager for Quartier, a French grocery shop with two outlets. "You could find French fine products, but not the everyday foods."
Six friends who have lived in Singapore for more than 10 years, decided to band together and start importing French everyday products into Singapore. In the process, they started Quartier . Ms Fourmont says the six founders prefer not to be named, but adds that none of them come from the F&B industry. "Quartier was a real adventure led by passionate people," she says.
She explains that in French, "quartier" means "neighbourhood". "It is a reference to the small convenience store where you can find all you need at an affordable price," she says. Quartier now has two outlets, one in Serangoon Gardens, where there is a strong French expatriate community, thanks to the presence of the French school, Lycee Francais de Singapour, and at Pasarbella @ The Grandstand.
Quartier at Serangoon Garden Way.
The company plans to open two to three more stores in the next two years. About 95 per cent of the products sold at Quartier are French, with some products coming from the rest of Europe. "We are working on having an entirely French inventory," says Ms Fourmont.
The store imports the most popular brands that the French community are familiar with, such as Le Rustique cheeses, Bonduelle canned vegetables and Bonne Maman biscuits. Ms Fourmont says that in France, branding is really important. "Brands have their own positioning, personality and promises. You buy Bonne Maman biscuits for a relaxing and gourmet moment and LU biscuits for a family moment," she explains.
In addition: "Quartier also works with a French chef to offer house-made pates, foie gras terrines, fresh soups and frozen meals," says Ms Fourmont.
The store also carries a range of laundry and cleaning products, stationery and even magazines. Ms Fourmont says that most of their customers are French families. But over at the Pasarbella outlet, they get a more international crowd and a fair share of Singaporeans too.
"We want to help Singaporeans understand everyday French food, to show that it is not only fine foods at expensive prices," says Ms Fourmont. "Let's be honest, French people don't have foie gras and champagne every day."
The French Grocer's tie-up with suppliers from Rungis, a revered place for gourmet food, has elevated its online offerings to near-cult status such as its tenderloin steak squares (above). Photo: The French Grocer
The French Grocer - Affordable restaurant-quality French gourmet fare
Shopping at The French Grocer is like going to a gourmet supermarket but without the high prices or having to leave your home. The online store was started by Guillaume Gallet, founder of Lomig, which specialises in the procurement of hotel amenities, resort equipment and logistics services for the hospitality industry. "As a food lover and gourmand, The French Grocer was a natural result of my close relationship with suppliers in Rungis - the cult place for gourmet food and the world's biggest food market," says Mr Gallet.
While Lomig serves the hospitality industry, the French Grocer is an online epicurean grocery store, offering premium food choices for shoppers in Singapore. The French Grocer is an affiliate company under Lomig.
"Put simply, The French Grocer not only lets shoppers have the opportunity to obtain 'restaurant quality' food but also enjoy savings on their food bills," says Mr Gallet. Having an online store helps in saving costs. "There are no manpower and rental costs, which means savings can be passed onto the customers," says Mr Gallet. The store also prides itself on being able to deliver orders the very next day.
"Most importantly, we are able to keep prices low by engaging customers to portion their individual purchases. They may spend a little more time and effort to cut their beef, slice their salmon but by doing so, they enjoy restaurant-quality meats and seafood at wholesale prices. These savings can be rather substantial for families, at the end of a year," says Mr Gallet.
And how much lower can prices be? The savings can range from 10 to 50 per cent cheaper when compared with other online stores and major supermarkets.
Mr Gallet works with local and overseas partners, such as Indoguna, Sunfresh and Paris Gastronomy when it comes to stocking up The French Grocer.
He says that these purveyors of fine food and beverages are extremely stringent in their selections. "Quality is never compromised and we are committed only to sourcing from reliable, sustainable origins. Suppliers are constantly subjected to checks to ensure compliance to all necessary regulations," he says.
Customers are particularly fond of its cote de boeuf or bone-in ribeye steak that comes from New Zealand. The seafood selection, which includes scallops from Hokkaido, tiger prawns from Madagascar and King salmon from New Zealand are also popular. The French brand of desserts, Senoble, which allows diners to have a decadent creme brulee or a chocolate dome in just 10 minutes has also been eagerly snapped up by customers.
"Our selection of French and Italian cheeses are also very popular. They taste of home for the French community in Singapore," says Mr Gallet. Besides selecting quality products, Mr Gallet also makes it a point to retail less common items. For example, Trois Rivieres rum from Martinique in the French West Indies, will soon be exclusively available at The French Grocer.
Trois Rivieres rum from Martinique (above) in the French West Indies, will soon be exclusively available at the online store. Photo: The French Grocer
Unlike other rums which are made with molasses, Trois Riveres rum are produced with pure sugar cane juice, thus retaining all the aroma and oligo elements in the rum. "I believe that The French Grocer's customers in Singapore deserve to indulge in such selected products," says Mr Gallet, who adds that he strives to offer options outside the usual fare available locally.
While the range of products that The French Grocer has cannot match what supermarket chains offer, Mr Gallet says that being smaller, he is able to offer personalised service and give individual advice. "We are closer to our suppliers and customers, allowing for open constructive conversation and gathering constant feedback for improvements. This communication channel is often lacking in many bigger corporations," he says.
And he is serious when he says he offers that personal touch. His mobile number is listed on the website, and customers can reach him on his mobile phone even late at night. "It is important that there is a human touch, a face, a name, for customers of The French Grocer," he says.
This article was first published in The Business Times