Following its announcement in February, and subsequent fund-raising drive, t he first packaging-free store in Luxembourg is set to open this autumn.

The OUNI team has confirmed that the funding goal to open the first packaging-free organic grocery store in Luxembourg has now been reached. Officially formed on 6 February 2016, in just four months OUNI has raised the €180,000 in starting capital it needs to open, entirely through shares purchased by cooperative members, now numbering 500. OUNI has enjoyed unprecedented community support, with over 4,000 Facebook fans, wide media coverage and high turnout to its many information sessions and events.

OUNI (‘Organic Unpackaged Natural Ingredients’) will be an environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional grocery stores, where customers can buy a wide range of grocery and household products without wasteful packaging. It will offer organic, local and/or fair trade food and household products in bulk or in reusable glass jars and bottles, allowing customers to use their own containers and avoid packaging waste. More than just a grocery store, it will also act as a community hub, bringing together all citizens interested in sustainable living through its café and monthly calendar of workshops.

As a cooperative business, OUNI is entirely owned and operated by its members, who each buy a minimum of one share. They can choose to be ‘active’ members, volunteering two hours of their time each month in the store, in return for several advantages such as a discount on in-store purchases. Due to the size of the planned store as well as the level of organisation required to schedule all volunteer hours, the maximum number of active members has been set at 250, which has already been reached. However, new members are still encouraged to join, in order to further strengthen the cooperative’s capital and maintain member numbers in the long-term.

Urgently looking for a location to open in autumn

The OUNI team is currently hard at work meeting with suppliers and securing equipment and materials for the store, however a suitable location has still not been found. The team is continuing to search for a commercial space of 100-200 m2 in Luxembourg City, preferably in Bonnevoie, Merl, Belair or Limpertsberg, and easily accessible by public transport. If a space can be found soon, OUNI will be opened in early autumn.

OUNI is one of the socially-focused business projects entered in the recent edition of the 1,2,3 GO Social competition, organised by Nyuko, which provides coaching, business plan support and training to promising local social entreprise projects.