In Frontignan, an organic grocery store in financial difficulty launches a Leetchi kitty to “stop the bleeding”

Camille Terdjan a repris ce commerce du centre-ville de Frontignan il y a deux ans et demi. Midi Libre – W. N.

Sa repreneuse, Camille Terdjan, compte sur la somme collectée pour maintenir à flot son activité.

At the entrance to Bio Mag Nature, Camille Terdjan put up a small poster to let her customers know that she was launching a Leetchi kitty to save her independent organic grocery store. A box was also set up in the store to receive donations from passing customers. “Currently, I have collected €680 on Leetchi and a total of €1,200. Ideally, I would like to reach €3,000”, says the shopkeeper. An amount that would allow her to “stop the bleeding” and “start off on the right foot”. Two and a half years after taking over this boutique located in the city center of Frontignan, she finds herself today, “like any business, faced with an economic crisis that weighs heavily on my shoulders”.

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“Huge” charges

First of all, the charges “which are huge” and especially electricity. While she says she doesn't heat in winter, she has to air-condition her premises in summer to keep her fruit and vegetables fresh. So in the summer, “my electricity bill came to €900 every two months”. Paying the property tax on her commercial premises, amounting to €3,000, as well as her rent of €1,200, adds to her difficulty. “I'm behind on my rent and it's really not possible for me” , says Camille Terdjan. She also admits to having contracted a debt with a supplier at the beginning of her business. “And there's also Urssaf, VAT… I had an apprentice but I couldn't continue with him because it was costing me too much”, adds the woman who still can't earn a living.

“I feel like I'm being exploited”

However, by taking over this business solo, the former nursing assistant wanted to diversify her products and focus on local products. “I prioritize quality over just the organic label. I've increased the cellar's offering with local wines, I've called on artisans like a ceramicist or a jewelry maker based in Frontignan”, lists Camille Terdjan. Moreover, she assures that the attendance of BiomagNature has increased a little. Even if the annual turnover, which amounted to €130,000 in 2024, has dropped by 10% since the takeover. “But we have to take into account the current situation. Customers are also having difficulties and need to save money”, says the shopkeeper who admits to having worked well in December.

Fulfilled in her job – “I really enjoy receiving my customers, looking for new products” – , Camille Terdjian nevertheless assures that if she does not manage to earn a salary within a year, she will consider closing her shop. “Working twelve hours a day just to pay bills is no longer possible, I feel like I'm being exploited, like I'm being taken advantage of”, she says. Thanks to the kitty, she hopes to keep Bio Mag Nature afloat and, in doing so, continue “to promote responsible consumption, support local agriculture and contribute to the life of downtown Frontignan”.

The kitty is available on leetchi.com. I subscribe to read the rest