A village in the Cévennes loses its last grocery store, the mayor tries to maintain a point of sale

Mayor Régis Bourelly promises a mobile service starting in January. Midi Libre – Paul Barraud

The multi-service grocery store in Saint-André-de-Valborgne, in the Cévennes gardoises, is closing its doors this Saturday, November 29. Solutions are being put in place to provide a minimum of products to residents.

The information had been circulating in the village for several weeks.

Placed in receivership, the multi-service grocery store, the only food store in Saint-André-de-Valborgne, next to the town hall, is closing its doors for good this Saturday, December 28. Despite an attempt at recovery supervised by the mayor, Régis Bourelly, the business will not have an immediate buyer.

Street trading and bread depot

However, the elected official from Cévennes indicates that a commercial activity will persist until a more sustainable solution is found. “We had to fight, but we will get there.” The solution: setting up a mobile grocery store, starting Thursday, January 2, on the Place du Temple every morning (9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.). A “itinerant trader” who should offer “everything you need” according to the mayor, including fresh fruit and vegetables and canned food products.

To compensate for the desertion of shops in the valley, the Café du Nord, the village bar, will also offer, from the beginning of January, a bread depot during its opening hours, from Tuesday to Sunday. The establishment will also sell the Midi Libre newspaper, the grocery store being, to date, the only point of sale of the daily newspaper in the town. However, the service will only be provided from Tuesday to Sunday, the café being closed this Monday. For that day, readers will have to collect their newspaper available at the town hall and pay its price at the café the day before or the next day.