We spoke with... .
Angela, with the need to do her bit for a more responsible consumption, moved to León and started a business buying products in bulk.
In 2018 Lulo Granel was born and since 2019 they have been our clients. Today they have a large community that accompanies them and that cares about zero-waste.
Let’s get to the point!
Tell us... How and when was the project born?
It emerged in the summer of 2018 , when on one of my trips to the city of León , I realized that there was no such store. Besides, at that time, I didn’t have a job and moving to a small city was getting more and more appealing to me, so I saw it as an opportunity for a change.
Who is behind Lulo Granel?
Behind Lulo is Angela, born in Madrid but adoptive daughter of many places, my whole family is from León, that’s why, every year, I spent several days there. I studied Biology, I never dedicated myself to it, but I have always been linked to and concerned about everything that could affect the environment. There is also Ana , my colleague in the store, who makes the job easier.
How do you define yourself and what values characterize you?
Lulo is a place where people leave behind all that consumerism and materialism that surrounds us today. It is a store where you go to buy something, but this store gives you the opportunity to make your purchase be more conscious, to think before you buy: bring your packaging in order to generate less waste, think about buying the amount you are really going to consume… there are no 2 for 1 or 3 for 1 offers here to encourage you to buy more.
We stand for responsibility, respect, and transparency.
What differentiates your store from the rest?
Here you can come and buy with your own packaging and that, to day, is a big difference with any other store. In addition, you can buy the amount you want, nobody forces you to take a kilogram of anything. As we are a small shop, we get to know almost all our customers, we can talk to them, find out what they like, something you can’t do in a large area.
We have been working together since 2019, how has the evolution been since then?
The truth is that we can’t complain, considering the years we have had to go through with the pandemic. Since we started, we have seen that the business is, little by little, getting better and better, people are becoming more and more encouraged to shop in our establishment and, although it is at a fairly slow pace, we are very happy that they are becoming more aware.
What is your most immediate challenge?
Every year we start with the aim of increasing the number of regular customers compared to the previous year, but the goal we are really working hard to achieve is to get more and more people to realize the importance of consuming as locally as possible, that waste reduction is very important and that we should incorporate it into our lives.
At the shop level, we would like to incorporate a fridge so that we can offer some fresh products.
You still don't have an online store; how do you see the future of these?
We have it in mind, and I think the demand is increasing, it is something to take into account nowadays. Although it is always linked to a physical space, because we need to see, smell and feel.
We need to see, smell and feel what we buy.
Selecting suppliers is not always easy, what do you look for to choose them?
Yes, it is not an easy task. We look for the product to be as close as possible, although it is often difficult. We also want them to be responsible with the environment and with their workers.
What do you like about Vegadénia as a supplier?
That the product is national, made with great care and affection. From the first day we met we could see the emotion and the work behind each product you bring to the market and, furthermore, everything is very tasty and our customers love it.
TOP 3 Vegadenia:
Organic carrot pâté with walnuts and basil; the Sobravegana and the orange jam with cocoa.
Tell us about your clients, what is the most important profile?
We have clients of all kinds, the most common being between 35 and 55 years old. There are very young people who have just become independent, or are studying. There are also older people, especially people who live alone because they can buy small quantities and they also come to see what it feels like to buy like they would have when they were little.
Finally, tell us what your customers say about Vegadénia.
They are very happy with the quality and flavour of the products. We have quite a few vegetarian and vegan customers who love your pâtés, since it is not easy to find the variety that you offer, and… The orange marmalade with cocoa flies!