No one there? The door of the whitewashed wooden hut is open. Inside, several fridges are filled with fresh produce: fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat. Next to them are shelves like those in a corner shop with long-life products. If you want, you can get everything you need for a complete menu here. And it's self-service. The money is either placed in cash in a till or transferred via a payment app. Everything is based on trust and without staff in the shop. „It usually works well,“ reports Marc Jacobs from the „Lokal Produkter va Wëntger“ cooperative, which runs the shop to market its local produce. The municipality of Wincrange financed the small building in the car park in front of the culture and sports centre.
Short transport routes and regional added value
Marc Jacobs has just driven up in his tractor, having been working in his greenhouse just a few hundred metres away. The tomatoes that will later be sold in the shop are ripening there. The transport route couldn't be much shorter. This not only protects the climate, but also guarantees unique freshness and quality. The range is seasonal, with many products coming directly from the community of Wincrange. The range is supplemented by regional purchases: pasta, spices, herbal tea from Sauer and Our, for example. The range was immediately well received. „It's simply practical to make a quick stop here in the evening to pick up the ingredients for dinner,“ says Marc Jacobs.
The cooperative has now grown to nine members. Their product selection has therefore also become interesting for restaurants and canteens. „However, it is too inconvenient for these businesses to order individually from each establishment and wait for deliveries,“ explains Marc Jacobs. „On the other hand, it is time-consuming and hardly profitable for us producers to drive out several times a week with small quantities.“
„It's simply practical to make a quick stop here in the evening to get the ingredients for dinner.“
Marc Jacobs receives a lot of positive customer feedback
The solution: The cooperative bundles the products of its member companies into a joint range for major customers. Thanks to LEADER co-financing, it was possible to create half a staff position and hire a delivery van. The project is initially scheduled to run for three years.
What is special about this model is that the cooperative does not act as a middleman, but as a broker. The added value remains with the producers and therefore in the region. The system is to be financed in the long term via staggered membership fees based on the turnover generated by the deliveries.
Authentic and in tune with the times
Christa Schmitz is now responsible for publicising „Lokal Produkter va Wëntger“ and establishing a network in the north of the country - committed, pragmatic and cheerful. She acquires new customers, puts together a changing range of products every week at the prices set by the producers and ensures that the deliveries arrive on time.
However, Christa Schmitz is also likely to be familiar to customers in the self-service shop and those who enjoy social media. When she's not stocking shelves and refrigerated compartments, she's advertising on Facebook. She uses her smartphone to record short videos in which she provides information about new arrivals. Authentic, regionally rooted, with heart and hand - just like the producers from Wincrange!
Text: Martine Hemmer (the English translation is AI generated, original text in German). Photos: Jeniska Photography
