Auchan celebrates the wine fair at the Bollaert stadium in Lens
- Amended:
- Author: Yves Denjean
On September 23rd, the legendary home of RC Lens, the Bollaert-Delelis stadium, was decked out in the colors of Auchan's wine fair. The retailer is, in fact, the shirt sponsor of the Artois club, which has qualified this season for the Champions League, the most prestigious of European football competitions.
"This is the fourth edition," explains Hervé Bouquerel, head of self-service sales at Auchan Noyelles-Godault (62). "This event stems from this partnership. As part of this partnership, we are organizing a tasting evening dedicated to club members and subscribers. It is also an opportunity to invite our VIP customers to an iconic and unifying location in the region. Furthermore, the infrastructure of the VIP area allows us to welcome up to 600 people in excellent conditions."
The evening brought together more than 500 guests invited by both the Lens football club and the four hypermarkets in the mining region: Auchan in Noyelles-Godault, Douai, Béthune, and Arras. "Attendance increases every year, and the feedback is excellent," commented Marie Bozec, director of Auchan Noyelles-Godault. "This event mobilizes all the store's teams, not just those in the beverage department. For example, it allows us to showcase the expertise of our traditional fresh food teams who prepare the buffet."
Equally involved in the preparation and execution of the event: welcoming clients, decoration, table setting, cash handling, and providing advice… The Noyelles-Godault location handled the logistics due to its large storage capacity. The VIP area of the Bollaert stadium was transformed for the evening into a lounge with 18 tables available for producers and merchants. In total, nearly 130 different wines were available for tasting.
"90% of the products available for tasting are complementary to the leaflet," explains Hervé Bouquerel. "We're targeting a more premium clientele, such as business owners or professionals, who don't usually attend our wine fairs. The idea isn't to create a second wine evening, as every store already has one." For the past two years, Auchan has expanded the tasting to include other products, such as spirits, cocktails, and even beer from the Brasserie Artésienne. "This is in response to requests from our customers who have friends or family members who aren't always interested in wine," explains Marie Bozec.
From a business perspective, this event aims for a turnover of between €40,000 and €50,000, increasing every year. "Staff are on hand to assist customers by preparing their purchases as they visit the various tables and helping them load them into their vehicles," Hervé Bouquerel points out. "We also offer free delivery for large orders." The proceeds are then shared equally among the four stores, along with the stock. A fine example of the team spirit so valued by RC Lens and its supporters.
Bollaert. The home of RC Lens was transformed for one evening on the occasion of the Auchan wine fair with all the scoreboards in the colours of the operation.
Offer. 90% of the offer presented is complementary to the existing selection. The Lugny winery, for example, presented six wines from its range.
Plan. The VIP area has been transformed into a small lounge with 18 tasting tables where two champagne houses, 12 still wines and two spirits are distributed. One table is also dedicated to cocktails, another to beer.
Tasting. The evening's guests were able to move from table to table to taste the wines, such as the one dedicated to the Bordeaux producer, Vignobles Boudat-Cigana, a historical supplier to Auchan.
Organization. Marie Bozec and Hervé Bouquerel, respectively director and head of LS commerce at Auchan Noyelles-Godault, organized this evening with the three other Artois stores.
Wines from the North. This evening highlighted the collective of 130 winemakers from the North who presented their new range of Chardonnay white wines called La Bande. This group brings together around fifty producers for a total vineyard of 80 hectares, exclusively planted with white Chardonnay.
Alcohol. Two spirits suppliers were present. These were the Bordeaux-based company BBC Spirits and the artisanal distillery Les Alambic de l'Etang based in Cléry-sur-Somme (80), a local player.
Cocktails. Guests sampled several spritz-based cocktail recipes using Vedrenne liqueurs and proseccos distributed by Trigedis, a company specializing in Italian sparkling wines.
Buffets. The evening's buffets were prepared by the deli, cheese, and bakery counters of the Arras store. "A good opportunity to showcase our expertise in this type of catering service," explains Marie Bozec, director of the Auchan hypermarket in Noyelles-Godault.
Beers. The Miner's Beer triple was available for tasting. Located in Haisne, just a few kilometers from the stadium, the Artésienne brewery, which produces this signature beer, also presented its new product, the Sang et Or supporter's beer: "Those who don't jump aren't from Lens."
