The shelves of concept store L’Esprit Bagus are stocked with a unique selection of decorative objects and home accessories, as well as small furniture pieces that are inspiring and unconventional. The assortment in L’esprit Bagus is of the highest quality, made from primarily natural or raw materials, and limited in quantity. 

Inspired after several trips to Indonesia, founder Pascale Ripoll fittingly included ‘bagus’ in her shop name – the Indonesian adjective used to describe items that are simultaneously beautiful, cool, good, and inspiring. 

The 47-year-old mother of two embarked on her entrepreneurial adventure after more than 15 years in the private sector and navigating two years through the Covid-19 pandemic.. A desire to change her life and reinvent herself professionally enabled her to realise her dream of opening a shop that represents her love of decoration, artisanal know-how, and the sharing and exchanging of ideas.

The Ankorstart team was proud to offer their support throughout this personal project from March 2022 until the shop’s opening on 14th June 2022.

Pascale took time to develop her project behind the scenes prior to launching. She enrolled in two training courses in partnership with Pôle Emploi to acquire entrepreneurial skills and to identify the main stages of setting up a business. 

Sourcing and curating her launch assortment proved to be her main pain point. She struggled with knowing how to choose products that complemented each other, how to optimise her search for suppliers, and how to build a sustainable and profitable stock inventory.

David, one of our Ankorstart experts, helped Pascale overcome these challenges by supporting and advising her before and during her shop opening.

David coached her regularly by video and telephone. Together they set up a complete action plan to help her save time and reach her goals efficiently. Pascale and David quickly established a trusting relationship based on their mutual values of humanity, listening and sharing.

David helped Pascale with the key issues around developing her business:

• The efficient search for suppliers according to her constraints and budget.
• The different functionalities of the Ankorstore platform, in particular the management of her back office.
• Her long-term vision of her business, especially around product sourcing. 

David also shared with Pascale a recommendation of bestselling brands and products in her sector of activity to optimise the launch of her shop and allow her to fine-tune her assortment. 

Ankorstore’s minimum order value of £100 per brand allowed her to test several products and identify the bestsellers for her shop while limiting her financial risks. She also worked with David to obtain 60-day payment terms, which freed up her cash flow, allowing her to contract a local freelancer to work on designing her branding and developing her social media strategy. 

This initiative paid off because it allowed Pascale to work on her communication strategy before opening and gain visibility quickly. From day one, valuable time was saved, enabling this new retailer to launch her shop successfully.

Thanks to the Ankorstart team’s mobilisation, Pascale could meet her deadlines and be open on her desired date. Today, she places most of her orders and manages her back office autonomously on the Ankorstore platform.

She surrounded herself with trustworthy service providers who relieved her of specific tasks, allowing her to concentrate on what was essential and stay on schedule. This strategy worked well and allowed her to successfully complete her project and meet some great people – including the Ankorstart team. The L’Esprit Bagus concept store has been such a great success since its opening that an online shop will be launching soon.

Follow L’Esprit Bagus on Instagram to keep up with Pascale’s journey in the future.

Duo d’intérieur is a concept of shops imagined by Caroline Puaux Pullman and Philippe Jan Beroca, with the aim to bring French craftsmanship and designers closer to consumers, and to offer them a more positive and sustainable retail experience. 

The idea for this project was born in the minds of these two committed shop owners during the COVID-19 pandemic. They had a strong desire to create a project that was both supportive and profitable, and to revitalise local commerce in seaside areas that have difficulty surviving outside of the school holidays. 

The Duo d’intérieur shops are real living spaces, designed to limit their impact on the environment as much as possible. They offer products from France, items from a selection of local designers and an in-house collection created in the on-site workshops, as well as offering space for cultural events and meeting areas. 

Caroline and Phillipe set three objectives for their shops:

1. To democratise arts and crafts
2. To support the French, regional and local craft industry
3. To act for a more ethical and sustainable business for tomorrow

The Ankorstart team were proud to support this ambitious project. Caroline and Philippe opened their first physical shop in July 2022 in Arcachon, and in 2023 they will open in Biarritz, Le Touquet and La Baule.

For Caroline and Philippe, who already have several years of experience in business creation and project management, the challenge of sourcing brands and products was the main problem. They wondered how to find their way through a huge selection of items, how to choose brands or products to ensure the success of the project and how to avoid making mistakes. 

Similarly, the next issue they experienced was financing. They questioned how to finance the purchase of the initial stock when they were on a tight timeline and whether to finance their business via bank loan, personal contribution or crowdfunding. 

Finally, in April 2022, administrative constraints pushed the Duo d’Intérieur team to bring forward the opening of their first shop from April 2023 to July 2022. The problem was then how to face the challenge of opening a shop in less than three months? 

That’s when Arnaud, Ankorstart’s expert, stepped in to answer these questions and advise Caroline and Philippe on the opening of their shop.

For these two committed entrepreneurs, the most important thing in choosing their  sourcing platform was to share common values with it: human, local and a strong desire to develop local trade. They found the perfect partner in Ankorstore.

The creation of Caroline and Philippe’s product assortment was a meticulous project that we worked on over several weeks. They had a clear vision of the products they wanted; only handcrafted items made in France. Arnaud, Caroline and Philippe worked hand-in-hand to select the best brands from the 30,000 offered by Ankorstore to create a tailor-made assortment that perfectly suited their positioning. The team worked together via phone, email and in person depending on the availability of Caroline and Philippe. 

Arnaud also took the necessary steps and was able to secure 60-day payment terms for Caroline and Philippe from Ankorstore’s financial partner. This was a real help for the duo as they were able to save cash for other key parts of their project. 

Thanks to the help of the Ankorstart team, Caroline and Philippe were able to meet their deadlines and open on the date they had set themselves. It took less than three months to complete their first project including: doing the necessary work in the shop, placing and receiving their first orders, managing administration and securing their financing.

Finding the perfect location and negotiating the commercial lease is also essential. According to Caroline, “A future retailer must look for and take the time to create an ‘event’ with their opening. You shouldn’t be afraid to embark on renovation work and put your own stamp on a place. You have to create YOUR story, that’s what will bring people in.” Caroline and Philippe have chosen a location in a little frequented area of Arcachon – an old warehouse opposite the station – but have carried out major work to make it a unique destination. They were able to negotiate its commercial lease at a great deal and therefore free up cash for other projects.

To discover the Duo d’Intérieur project in more detail :