Summary Summary Celebrate Food III On the road towards the first ‘Lazuur’ market The Lazuur market is set to be the supermarket of the future. This is the most important conclusion of the Celebrate Food concept that InnovationNetwork started up in 2004. Celebrate Food had a two-fold aim: to raise awareness of fresh, artisanal and sustainable products among a wider public and to create a fairer and better distribution of resources across the entire food chain. By providing consumers with instructive and reliable information on the origin of their daily supermarket shopping, they obtain more insight into their food and the related food chain. Celebrate Food centres on products with fewer food miles, preferably sourced from local farmers, growers and other suppliers. Authentic and artisanal products grown in an environmentally responsible manner. Traded at a fair price. And with a clear destination. So that producers know what happens to their wares, rather than seeing them disappear into a mass production chain. A concept, in other words, that brings consumers and producers closer together. Well-thought-out concept The foundations for Celebrate Food III were laid by Michael Pullens of Strategic Development Group. InnovationNetwork approached him with the request to develop business models for the supermarket of the future. In this way, the new retail formula could be tested in practice. Pullens built six ‘houses’ which each represented a business model. Each house consisted of various building blocs which jointly gave that business model its unique character. This process ultimately provided the economic basis for Lazuur, a well-thought-out concept for an entirely new kind of food store. Or, more accurately, an entirely new market. This new retail formula evolved gradually during a long preliminary process. The conceptual basis consisted of Celebrate Food I and II. Lazuur appeals to the people who are going to make it reality: retailers, consumers and producers. Lazuur will open up a new future for us all, which will see us adopting a genuinely different approach to our vegetables, fruit, meat, fish and all other foods that we receive from Mother Earth. Lazuur re-connects producers and consumers, thus restoring their natural relationship. Both parties influence the retail concept and the product assortment. The consumers become co-shareholders, while the producers provide detailed information on their lovingly grown and manufactured products: newly harvested potatoes, freshly picked strawberries, self-made beef sausages, sustainably caught fish, and freshly ground coffee from growers who get a fair price for their beans. Splendid products that are displayed on the shelves for a price that satisfies the farmer, 70 71 butcher, grower, fishmonger, baker and all other suppliers and producers. A price that the consumer willingly pays for this regional and artisanal produce. What comes from afar is not necessarily better or tastier. There are so many good things waiting to be discovered close to home. A feast! Shopping at the Lazuur market is a feast for customers. They are invited to smell and sample all sorts of cheeses, olives, breads and fruits like juicy pears. Chefs cook great meals on the premises, made of fresh ingredients that can be found on the shelves. And anyone who feels like a break from the travails of the day can enjoy a freshly made cup of coffee with apple pie or a simple lunch in the convivial restaurant. Lazuur is much more than a place to do your daily shopping. The owner of the Lazuur market has a special role in bringing consumers and producers into contact with each other. He provides information, advice and ensures everything goes smoothly. He is the store manager, coordinator and host all at the same time. Inno Kock of the existing health food store Buys & Ko in Wageningen will co-own the first-ever Lazuur supermarket in the Netherlands, which will open its doors in Wageningen (Gelderland) in 2012. Other pioneers also have their say in this book. Quirijn Bolle, for instance, tells how he and his business partner Meike Beeren opened the Netherlands’ first Marqt store in 2006. This ambitious entrepreneur gives his vision on sustainable food and how he puts his ideals into practice at Marqt. With three ‘Marqt’ stores already up and running, and more to follow, it’s clearly a winning formula. The website of InnovationNetwork states the following mission: InnovationNetwork develops ground-breaking innovations in agriculture, agribusiness, food and green spatial planning and ensures that stakeholders put these into practice. These innovations are focused on long-term sustainable development. InnovationNetwork seeks to kick-start these ground-breaking innovations by developing breakthrough concepts which, once implemented, catalyze radical and far-reaching change. With Celebrate Food, InnovationNetwork has succeeded in creating an entirely new concept. A concept that comprises many ingredients of existing stores, markets and retail formulas, but combines these into an entirely novel and unique formula called Lazuur. Lazuur goes ‘back to basics’: consumers are reconnected with nature and the food they eat. Passionate producers participate actively and give customers an opportunity to sample their wares. Lazuur finds its origin in Celebrate Food, but will soon spread its wings as an independent concept – marking a further step on the road towards a better future based on more respect for people and planet, with consumers making a conscious choice for honest, real and artisanal products for everyone. Pagina 36
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