LA Vie Claire débuts at Gulfood eying regional expansion

French concept store LA Vie Claire – a franchise business model specialised in organic and healthy food since 1946 – is setting its eyes on the lucrative Middle East market for growth and expansion at Gulfood.

La Vie Claire literally translated from French meaning ‘the clear life’, the core motto of its concept store being ‘think clearly, see clearly, act clearly and live a clear life’. In a nutshell, La Vie Claire adheres to the principles of its founder Henri-Charles Geffroy. The founder based his concept on the principle: “We are fully responsible for what we eat and our consumption habits help each one of us live a healthier life.”

La Vie Claire is headquartered in Lyon, capital of the French Gastronomy, one of the biggest organic food and allied items producing area in France, along with La Drome region.

“La Vie Claire selects and displays, exclusively in its shops, a wide and some of the finest range of French delicatessen organic food but also cosmetics and household products meeting very stringent standards and specific requirements, including GMO free, gluten free, vegan, eco-friendly items,” says export manager Samira Jeanheraly.

In 2016, La Vie Claire launched more than 200 new products, be it cosmetics, fresh and dried foods or other ‘Made in France’ delicatessen products. Amongst the new assortment of products La Vie Claire has developed a wide and a range of body oils, which meet the stringent quality controls.

Importance of the Middle East market

With its 9.5 million of consumers, the UAE and its cosmopolitan cities Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates form an important hub for the Middle East and help promote quality French products.

According to a 2015 Global Health & Wellness Survey by Nielsen Middle East and Africa, 68% of the respondents comprising different age groups agreed on increasing awareness in consuming fresh, minimally processed food with beneficial ingredients that help fight diseases. The survey also revealed that consumers are willing to pay a premium for health benefits.

“La Vie Claire, therefore, believes that though it is a niche market, there is a latent demand in specialised foods such as those available on the shelves of La vie Claire shops,” Jeanheraly points out.

Further, La Vie Claire products carrying the ‘Made in France’ label makes them all the more appealing to consumers in the Middle East markets.

“La Vie Claire is making its début in the 2017 edition Gulfood in Dubai. Although already present in 11 countries now, we are optimistic that our presence at one of the world’s largest food exhibitions will help to expand the presence internationally and particularly in the Middle East,” concludes Jeanheraly.