Hello Sébastien, how long have you owned or operated the store?
I've owned the building for 3 years and run the store, which opened on July 8, 2023.
Why did you decide to run a fishing store?
After working for Michelin for 17 years, the Vendée site went out of business and I was made redundant, so I had to reinvent myself. Passionate about fishing, I decided to set up a business in this sector.
How did you become a fishing enthusiast?
I always fished when I was young, with my grandfather. When we moved to the Vendée, it was an opportunity to rediscover fishing thanks to the Vie river and Apremont lake, close to my home. Above all, I was able to discover sea fishing, from the shore and by boat, which I love and practice regularly. I mainly fish with lures for sea bass, cuttlefish, bream and meagre in the sea, and for pike, zander, perch and black bass in freshwater. Occasionally, I fish with a jig for fun with my son.
Can you tell us about the store?
The store is located at 8 allée de la Croix Blanche ZA de la Joséphine 85670 Saint-Christophe-du-Ligneron in Vendée. It boasts 170 m² for fishing and a 30 m² wine cellar for wines from all regions of France. I particularly appreciate advising my customers on how to pair their dishes (meat, fish, cheese) with wine. Outside, a locker relay pick-up provides a complementary service to my customers for parcel delivery. I run the store myself, from product sourcing to sales.
Over 4,500 references are available, divided between the different fishing techniques: spinning and casting, lure fishing, carp, feeder and feeder method, boat and shore fishing (lures, baits, trolling, etc.), surfcasting, shore fishing. And I'm gradually starting to equip myself for big rod fishing. I work with selected brands such as Ankover, Kingraal, Vivastic, Sportex, Kryston, Climax, but also Daiwa, Rapala, VMC, Reins, Delalande, Powerline, Autain, Pafex, Lemer, etc...
You can also find all the baits you need for the various techniques in the store, such as live baits: maggots, pinkies, earthworms, dendroses and Canadians, moths, mealworms, as well as ready-to-fish groundbaits and various flours (Belgian coco, Dutch yellow PV1, TTX, etc.). I offer a wide range of boilies, hookbait popups, wafters, DIPs and liquids for carp and feeder, as well as a choice of sea baits such as strouille and baits preserved in brine and also frozen from the Vendée brand Papy Strouille.
I try to advise my customers as best I can, according to their needs, expectations and budget. I make a point of offering products with the best possible value for money, but foreign and online competition is fierce.
What do you think of France's fishing economy?
The economics of leisure fishing in France are complex. Its continued popularity will depend on its ability to adapt to ecological challenges and attract new audiences.
The key to maintaining a good relationship with fishing brands, federations or AAPPMAs lies in transparency, active collaboration and knowledge sharing. By combining the strengths of brands that encourage local stores rather than the big chains and online sales sites, we can contribute to the dynamism of local fishing while enhancing its ecological and social dimension.
If there was one thing you could change about your job, what would it be?
The current difficulty lies in competition from Chinese sites and resale websites, with their rock-bottom prices. Our retail outlets offer the kind of proximity, attentiveness and advice that online sites cannot.
And the one you'd like to keep at all costs?
The most rewarding part of my job is the relationship with my customers and the human interaction I cultivate every day.
Why do you think your customers buy from you?
I wanted to create a friendly, welcoming store for young and old alike, with reasonable prices and a strategic choice of products based on the fishing techniques practiced in my area.
The advice, the listening, the conviviality and the human exchanges make my store a pleasant place where the fishermen find themselves in the values conveyed.
Do you still have time to go fishing?
Since the opening of the store, particularly from Monday to Saturday during the high season, it's been harder to practice my hobby. Nevertheless, I try to take my son out on a regular basis, as it's a shared passion and I enjoy introducing him to the world of fishing. Several times a year, I go out to sea with my customers to discuss different techniques and try out the new products I have in store. These convivial moments are rich and enjoyable, and help build customer loyalty.
