On Saturday morning, the OUNI cooperative opened its second packaging-free organic grocery store in Luxembourg, this time in Dudelange.
Three years and three months after the opening of Luxembourg's first packaging-free organic grocery store on Rue Glesener in December 2016, OUNI has invested in the south of the country and opened a second store of 180 m2 (with a sales area of around 100 m2) at 14-16 Rue de la Libération in Dudelange.
This is a significant step in a process that started in June 2019 and which particularly saw the cooperative raise the funds needed (€100,000) to make this project a reality, in the space of five months.
At the end of February 2020, OUNI had raised €138,700 in member participation and €15,000 in donations, not counting the hours of volunteer labour offered on the site. Nevertheless, the cooperative still needs finance in order to establish this new store and to keep it running.
Stephan Kinsch, the interim manager who took particular care of the smooth running of this crucial stage for the cooperative, commented: "OUNI Diddeleng is the result of the contributions of a very large number of stakeholders".
Joshua Streitz, current manager of OUNI, added: “In addition to the leadership and management team of OUNI, there is also the City of Dudelange, the Transition Diddeleng association, professional partners, suppliers, foundations and active members. Everyone devoted time, sweat and money to it... It is the principle of a cooperative and it is gratifying to see so many men and women mobilising themselves around a common project".
The City of Dudelange is thus continuing its strategy of making the city more user-friendly and attractive and to occupy its commercial areas with niche shops which echo a committed ecological and social policy. Dan Biancalana, Mayor of Dudelange, explained: "We have found good common ground with OUNI. Thanks to the intervention of the city and its city-manager, and also thanks to the appreciable efforts of the owner of the premises, advantageous conditions have been proposed".
Concretely, the lease contract was signed between the City of Dudelange and the owner of the premises, and the OUNI cooperative, under sublease, pays the entire rent to the City which also helped the cooperative carry out certain work on the premises.
OUNI’s ambition remains more than ever the same: to bring organic packaging-free products to as many consumers as possible, who want to be able to make eco-responsible purchases close to their homes.
Commenting on the OUNI lifestyle, Rébecca Maroko, President of the Board of Directors, said: "Bulk, and especially organic bulk, is really the future and everyone should be able to have easy access to it. OUNI is open to everyone, everyone can come and do their shopping there, but can also decide to become a member, to help develop the cooperative [...]".
In the space of three months, the transformation and fitting-out of the premises has given new life to pallets and other old furniture. An achievement in harmony with the philosophy of the cooperative. “OUNIis a lifestyle,” confirmed Joshua Streitz. “The beauty of the store reflects the desire to offer healthy products for us, humans, and for the planet that shelters us, without packaging, without plastics, without waste… without problems! It is through beauty that change can take place".
As in the historic store on Rue Glesener, OUNI Dudelange will offer around 900 food, hygiene and maintenance products necessary for daily life, sold either in bulk or in reusable or returnable packaging (bottles and glass jars). Organic, local and fair trade products are available.
The OUNI store in Dudelange is open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 20:00 and on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 08:30 to 20:00.
