“Give your time and your heart” : at the initiative of its director, Maëva Grondin, the Leroy Merlin du Port store organizes solidarity home improvement projects, in partnership with the Western Territory. In addition to merchandise donations, volunteer employees take their working time to lend a hand to the craftsmen carrying out the work, thus speeding up construction sites.
This initiative of the store director, Maëva Grondin, is inspired by Bricos du Cœur by Leroy Merlin France. Les Bricos du Cœur is an association founded more than ten years ago by four employees of the Leroy Merlin group. (which has since become the Adeo group). Volunteers carry out small, easy-to-do jobs on a voluntary basis (paint, carpentry, gardening, kitchen installation, etc.) for social structures (associations, foundations, EHPAD, hospitals, etc.). “I wanted to be part of this process, explains Maëva Grondin. With this difference that, Leroy Merlin being a franchise in Reunion, the organization and financing of Reunion solidarity projects are entirely the responsibility of the store. The commitment is similar, but in a different form. We are partners of the Western Territory, which offers us to participate in projects as part of its policy to combat unsanitary housing. We are launching an internal call for volunteers to give a helping hand to the craftsmen carrying out the work.. Unsanitary housing is a problem in Reunion, and our core market, it’s home improvement. I believe it is important that we are there for everyone, including for people who cannot afford to be our customers. It is important for our teams to be aware of this possibility of acting for others. »
A feeling of pride and usefulness
The Port store having opened in October 2020, the process of donating goods and solidarity projects is only just beginning. After Saint-Louis in 2021, the heights of Saint-Paul in 2022, The Port in 2023, the project underway this year is located in the Rivière des Galets district. Volunteering really took off last year with 16 collaborators who took turns to help with the complete renovation of a hut at the Port.. Volunteer proposals go through the “positive impact” relay team, term covering the store's CSR actions. Leroy Merlin employees come to help the craftsmen in charge of the work, like the Companion Builders, also engaged in the fight against unsanitary housing. “I remember the first employee to volunteer on a solidarity construction site : Aurelie, from the logistics department, was not handy at all. She learned to put plaster and placo. For the staff who participate, these projects are part of their work. They gain a feeling of pride and increased usefulness, in addition to knowledge that they did not have. They are grateful for the company that allowed them to have this experience. The smile of the owners when the work is finished, It’s something that can’t be forgotten.”, testifies Sébastien Escoute, member of the management committee of the Leroy Merlin du Port store and the positive impact relay group, in charge of organizing solidarity projects.
Goal : two solidarity projects per year
The search for “positive impact” manifests itself through other external actions. Employees are asked to dedicate one working day during the year to an action in favor of the environment or society.. There are Cleanup Days, planet cleaning days. We can also mention the renovation of a dojo for the Réunion judo federation., the development of a terrace at the Saint-Pierre University Hospital, DIY and gardening classes in schools, etc. If Leroy Merlin Réunion has not communicated on this type of action, outside of its customers, This eventually became known. “We are inundated with requests from schools.
We respond to them to the best of our ability.", confides Maëva Grondin. Customers themselves are invited to participate through social networks. “There are some very good handymen among our customers. Several have already come. » Maëva Grondin aims to set up two solidarity projects per year. She is also studying the solution of solidarity purchasing agreements, like some Leroy Merlin stores offer in mainland France. These agreements allow associations acting against precarious housing to benefit from a repayment of the entire margin applied to purchases made at Leroy Merlin..
Electronic labels : geolocation of products in store
An experience made possible in Reunion, like in the metropolis, thanks to the Leroy Merlin mobile application coupled with Hanshow electronic labels, specialist in digitalization solutions for retail.
How to facilitate and improve the customer experience in a large store offering more than 50,000 references ? DIY leader, pioneer in the digitalization of its stores, Leroy Merlin called on Hanshow for the deployment of electronic labels indoors and outdoors allowing customers and staff to find their way. Leroy Merlin has integrated the Hanshow solution into the heart of its consumer mobile application : this interacts with the electronic labels installed on the shelves. Upon entering the store, the customer has the possibility of opening the Leroy Merlin application in order to be geolocated, then guided by a signposted route towards the desired radius. In the world of DIY, this functionality has very strong added value, taking into account the surface area and layout of the points of sale. Once on the shelf, the customer can also flash the label of the desired product via the mobile application, in order to precisely identify the product. “The combination of data and technological solutions has allowed us to develop a tailor-made tool in order to offer a personalized experience for each customer”, summarizes Pierre Fosseux, vice-president of Hanshow France.
A solution also appreciated by employees
The electronic label guarantees price consistency between online and offline, and the user experience is enriched thanks to access to numerous features such as “customer reviews”, redirection to an enhanced product sheet, le Home Index, which assesses the environmental and social impact of the product, or even flashing labels from the application for purchasing assistance. These features are also appreciated by in-store employees. Whether for inventory management, restocking, click and collect preparations, etc., geolocation of products saves them time. Since the deployment of this solution, Leroy Merlin notes that one in four visitors uses the application to navigate the aisles. On the side of the collaborators, they drastically reduced, thanks to her, the preparation time for “withdrawals 2 hours”.
