GeoPost/DPDgroup continues expansion into the food sector

Online purchases of foodstuffs have grown steadily in recent years and have increased sharply with the onset of the pandemic. It is the category of goods where the frequency of online purchases has increased the most in 2021 (+11 percentage points in Europe and +8 percentage points in France compared to 2019). New trends have emerged, such as the demand for organic products, greater transparency, a consumer expectation for responsible trade and a growing desire to consume products that are accessible through short circuits.

GeoPost/DPDgroup has a strong track record in food delivery through:

• Stuart, which provides urban delivery services in France, Spain, the UK, Italy, Poland and Portugal
• A temperature-controlled delivery offer like SEUR Frío in Spain since 2002, Chronofresh in France since 2015 and DPD fresh in Belgium in 2020

Since September 2021, the inclusion of the start-up epicery has also made it possible to order fresh products from local shopkeepers in several French cities.

“The takeover of Pourdebon.com by GeoPost/DPDgroup is a further step in our strategy to develop the food e-commerce market. One year after the acquisition of epicery.com, we are continuing our development in this fast-growing segment with great potential. Pourdebon.com, which puts consumers in direct contact with French producers and craftsmen, will be able to strengthen synergies with our subsidiary Chronofresh. The two companies will thus continue their fruitful collaboration”

says Yves Delmas, CEO of GeoPost/DPDgroup

Pourdebon.com, a start-up serving producers and consumers

Pourdebon.com connects French artisans and producers with consumers looking for the best fresh and local products. Today, the Pourdebon.com platform offers 17,000 fresh products from more than 550 French producers and artisans. Since its inception, the company has experienced strong growth with a significant acceleration effect during the pandemic.

Pourdebon.com has developed a unique sourcing know-how to select passionate producers and artisans from all over France. By promoting them on its platform, foodie consumers have access to a varied range of unique regional products. The platform eliminates all intermediaries, recreating a direct link between the producer and the consumer. Pourdebon.com manages the order from start to finish, offering express, fresh and home delivery.

For the producer, Pourdebon.com is a turnkey e-commerce solution without any subscription, which allows them to promote their approach, develop their turnover by selling at the right price, and ensure the dispatch of their fresh and perishable products anywhere in France in under 24 hours.

The services provided by Pourdebon.com and epicery complement each other and can coexist: epicery allows shopkeepers and artisans to digitise city centre food products and deliver them to local residents, while Pourdebon.com digitises local farmers and producers and delivers their fresh products anywhere in France.

• Since the start-up’s launch in 2016, GeoPost/DPDgroup has owned a minority share of Pourdebon.com via Chronopost.
• GeoPost/DPDgroup bought 51.11% of Pourdebon.com’s capital, held by Webedia, thus acquiring control of the start-up. GeoPost/DPDgroup now owns 100% of the capital.
• Nicolas Machard, co-founder of the start-up, remains CEO

Pourdebon.com and Chronofresh for a responsible quality delivery

Pourdebon.com has joined forces with Chronofresh to deliver the products ordered through its platform, in order to guarantee optimal quality and freshness throughout France.

Chronofresh, a subsidiary of Chronopost, provides express delivery of dry, fresh and frozen food products, under controlled temperatures and in compliance with the cold chain, to professionals and individuals in France and abroad.

Sharing the same values of sustainability, Pourdebon.com and Chronofresh support producers in their short circuit approach, and offer optimised logistics, neutral in carbon emissions.

Nicolas Machard, CEO of Pourdebon.com explains:

“This merger will allow Pourdebon.com to increase its reputation and to support more producers by offering their high-quality fresh products to more consumers. It will also allow us to develop many new features, starting with a B2B platform dedicated to the restaurant and grocery industry.”