Nature and Découvertes, under the leadership of Yves Rocher and Truffault, are unyielding to the generosity of their competitors, neglecting the well-being of the environment.
Struggling to Stay Zen: Nature & Découvertes Faces Decline Amid Stiff Competition
© Illustration by our site/Freepik
By Camille Harel, Head of category Large Consumption/Large Distribution
An essential oil diffuser for €64.95, a bamboo and stone water fountain for €99.95, a foldable solar panel for €49.95... These eco-friendly gadgets once adorned the shelves of Nature & Découvertes stores with a certain zen allure. Now, they seem to instead irritate shoppers. "The products haven't changed in thirty years! We still find the same bird song alarms, cherry pit neck pillows, or cranium massagers," confesses Sandrine, who now rarely visits the store. Similar sentiments are echoed by industry professionals. "Does the customer know why they pay more for these products at Nature & Découvertes? No. And are the products different from those sold by competitors? No," says David Robin, associate at consulting firm Colombus Consulting.
The outlook for this pioneer in ecological and nature-focused retail appears bleak. Nature & Découvertes, which advocated for biodiversity and the environment as early as 1994 when it launched its protection, awareness, and education foundation, has seen a decrease in popularity. Between 2022 and 2023, the store's revenues dropped by 6%, to €181 million. The network is now in the red, with a loss of nearly €11 million in 2023. The coming fiscal year does not look any better, as Nature & Découvertes is showing "a significant decline in sales and profitability compared to 2023" according to its parent company, the Fnac Darty group.
Concerns among union representatives have grown, with fears of further cost-cutting measures. The store has already cut 73 jobs and closed four stores (Gare Montparnasse in Paris, Levallois-Perret, Mulhouse, and Evry). Today, there are only 11 shops in stores remaining.
In 2019, when Fnac Darty acquired Nature & Découvertes from its founding family, the Lemarchands, and investment fund Raise, the group's ambitions were clear. Enrique Martinez, the group's CEO, aimed to conquer new markets, including the Iberian Peninsula, where the Fnac network was already well-established. He also intended to open dedicated sections for the brand's products in Fnac stores and replicate the franchise development model previously adopted by the cultural goods retailer. However, six years on, the results are mixed: Nature & Découvertes has no stores in Spain and operates only 11 "shops in shops" within Fnac. The franchise expansion plan also seems to have stalled, with only 17 stores operating under this format out of a total of 107 stores by the end of 2023.
While the Covid-19 pandemic surely played a role in the store's struggles, questions remain about the relevance of this acquisition for a distributor primarily specialized in cultural goods and electronics. "When a consumer goes to Fnac or Darty to buy a TV or an oven, they're not there for wellness. The group bought Nature & Découvertes to green its image and attract a new type of customer, but it's like trying to marry a carp and a rabbit," says David Robin.
The future for Nature & Découvertes remains uncertain. On June 11th, Alain Keravec, the new general director who replaced Frederique Giavarini last October, will unveil his new strategic plan for the brand. Whether it will provide the rejuvenation Nature & Découvertes desperately needs remains to be seen.
- The decline in Nature & Découvertes' popularity has extended to the finance sector, as the store's revenues dropped by 6% between 2022 and 2023, resulting in a loss of nearly €11 million in 2023.
- The fashion-and-beauty, home-and-garden, and retail industries have witnessed a shift in consumer preferences, leading to stiff competition for Nature & Découvertes, once a pioneer in eco-friendly products.
- The business model of Nature & Découvertes, initially hailed for its focus on biodiversity and the environment, is now facing challenges in adapting to changing retail habits and consumer expectations.
- In the wake of Nature & Découvertes' struggles, questions arise in the finance industry regarding the long-term viability of the brand, especially given its acquisition by a group primarily specializing in cultural goods and electronics.
