Created in April 2016, the traditional bakery-pastry shop Tartefine quickly found its feet in the residential area of Bonnevoie in Luxembourg City.
Its founder, Anne Le Moigne, after having worked for more than 20 years in the aeronautics sector, had perfectly succeeded in a reconversion prepared with the Chamber of Commerce.
But in 2019, the turnover recorded in the shop suffered a drop of almost 20% compared to the previous year. “After almost four years of activity, the time had come to question ourselves and understand the source of this decline,” explains Ms Le Moigne. “Especially since our observations had led us to note a permanent change/renewal of the clientele, but also a decrease in the frequency of customer visits and a decline in the average basket.”
The priority was clear: we had to find out how to attract, retain and keep customers with a minimal investment, especially in marketing, communication and customer relationship management.
“Tips for growth”
“We couldn’t afford to hire an external consultant ourselves. That’s why the Fit 4 Service programme appeared to be the perfect instrument for us,” explains Ms Le Moigne.
The diagnosis provided by the external consultant enabled us to identify a number of findings and to consider various avenues of reflection. “We also needed advice on how to grow our business,” she says. “For example, we were made aware of the fact that we were more focused on production and our creative capacity, but much less on the desires of the consumer and his habits”.
While the first projects were ready to be implemented (redesign of the shop window, redefinition of the product menu, etc.), the Covid crisis arose and forced the closure of part of Tartefine’s activity: its tea room. As a result, the priority of projects had to be reviewed and the e-commerce aspect developed as a priority.
“We strengthened our digital presence and invested in digital tools for order taking. This has enabled us not only to reach consumers outside our geographical area, but also to strengthen our B-to-B resale activity.”
All of this was supported by a well-dosed marketing campaign, which also enabled us to reach customers who were just a few streets away, but who did not necessarily know the brand.
Increase in turnover
“Thanks to this customer service improvement programme, Tartefine has not only increased its customer loyalty, but has also been able to adapt to the Covid crisis by digitalising part of its business model, while gaining new customers,” notes Lionel Cammarata, in charge of the Fit 4 Service programme at Luxinnovation.
The result is indeed there: at the end of 2020, Tartefine’s turnover has returned to the level of 2018, despite the particularly restrictive health context.