Sauramps

the bookstore Sauramps , established with Montpellier for more than sixty years, in full heart of the center town, has been the most important French independent bookstore after Mollat , with an annual turnover of 20 million euros. It knew to preserve its independence in a sector in full concentration. Actor of the local cultural life, Sauramps is also the most attended bookstore Languedoc-Roussillon. It has an sales area of 2500 m2.

History and evolution of the company

Of its creation date at the end of the years 1980

Creation and establishment (1946-1960)

The limited liability company Sauramps (34 rue Saint-Guilhem in Montpellier) created by Henri Sauramps in 1946 had as an aim the exploitation of a paper mill-printing works. Henri Sauramps was a printer of Angouleme which took refuge in Montpellier during the war. His/her son-in-law Pierre Torreilles there installs a ray of bookstore and becomes managing company in 1957.

The period which was passed of 1957 to 1962 was devoted by the bookstore to its establishment in cultural fabric of Montpellier. The Sauramps bookstore became the intellectual bookstore of the city, specialized in literature, social sciences and fine art.

Pierre Torreilles joins Pierre Descomps then, coming from the edition, and limited liability company is transformed into Public limit company. They install the bookstore on 240 m2, with 2 rue Saint-Guilhem, in October 1962, leaving with the paper mill the first store of 34 rue Saint-Guilhem.

Expansion and removal (years 1960 and 70)

Between 1962 to 1978, the bookstore becomes multidisciplinary, open to all the public ones, adding particularly a scientific, legal and medical ray, and an important choice of books devoted to the " Life scientifique" and with the " Tourisme" like with the literature for youth. Its set covers all the fields except the school book. During this period, the turnover passes from 450000 F Net HT to 6300000 F Net HT.

Following this period, a market research and a thorough analysis of its potentialities ray by ray, then resulted in estimating that the room and the place, where was installed the bookstore, slowed down its expansion and its profitability.

A stock which did not make it possible any more to expose the exiguity of the buildings, the possibilities manifest and however choked by the place, the development of customers general public, the expansion of Montpellier in full rise in the tertiary sector led the officers of the company to transport the bookstore in 1978 out of 1000 m2 in the new center of the city. " Triangle" is the contact point between the old city and new Montpellier at the same time as the junction point of the axes of circulation and the by-passs bringing the inhabitants of North, the East and the West of the city, faculties like industrial districts, in the zone of intense marketing activity which is the Triangle/Polygone.

Years 1990 with today

a new direction (the years 1990)

The bookstore is taken again the beginning of the year 1990 by a directory of three people resulting from the personnel, to Marie-Christine Wodiczko, to Jean-Luc Bonnet and to Jean-Marie Sevestre. Jean-Marie Sevestre in is, since, the current chairman.

In 1991, the paper mill leaves the street Saint-Guilhem for the gallery of the Triangle.

an additional Web site and stores (the years 2000)

The year 2001 is that of the creation of the Web site Sauramps.com. Bookstore on line, this site presents stock available to the sale, but also diffuses near different public the unit from animations around the book proposed by the bookstore: meetings of authors, editors, summaries of conferences, criticisms on literary and intellectual creations, various animations in all the directions, of youth to social sciences, the scientific research with discovered of a first novel.

In 2002, the bookstore essaime in its area, by creating in Montpellier a bookstore youth, Polymômes, and with Ales a bookstore general practitioner. In 2006, the bookstore celebrates its 60 years. It opens in February 2007 a shop with the Musée Fabre and stands as candidate on the project of shopping mall Odysseum (opening in 2009).

The Sauramps bookstore ensures of high level animations, in its city and its area (more than 120 meetings, signatures, readings or debates per annum), and is placed in 2nd position at the national level.

The general President-director

Born with Saussan in Herault in 1949, parents farmers, Jean-Marie Sevestre undertakes studies of right to Montpellier in the years 1970. To finance its studies, it seizes a job of student to the Sauramps bookstore-printing works-paper mill. During its interim, Pierre Descomps and Pierre Torreilles will propose to him to develop the university departments. Quickly, it develops the contacts with the university then with the authors. There remains bookseller and becomes in 1990 the president of the steering committee and the owner of the bookstore, with equality with Marie-Christine Wodiczko (human resources and communication) and Jean-Luc Bonnet (finances and administration). Jean-Marie Sevestre was president of the Syndicat of the French bookstore and, as an independent man, was opposed to fusion Hachette - Vivendi. Mayor (PS) during twelve years of Saussan, and always elected local official, it works with all the cultural actors of the city. Substitute at the community for agglomeration for Montpellier, it has in load the commission trade-craft industry.

Various stores

The bookstore to date has five stores, each one having its speciality: regionalism, paper mill, youth, fine art.

Sauramps Bookstore

Located at Montpellier, Place of the Comedy, it acts of the heart of the bookstore and sound plus big space of sale. Pyramidal labyrinth composed of multiple half-stages juxtaposed without apparent logic, the bookstore is of an access rather rejecting for the customer not accustomed. But many references there are found.

Multidisciplinary bookstore (except for youth), Sauramps represents:

  • More than 1400 m2 of surface on 6 stages.
  • 43 specialized booksellers.
  • 1500 rays gathering a total of 135000 different titles (permanent references).
  • This space shelters also the services communities and mail-order sellings of the bookstore.

Sauramps in the Cevennes

This bookstore general practitioner open in December 2002 and located at Alès is before a a whole local bookstore, which proposes possible setting ahead the most exhaustive of the regional leading production. The bookstore is a place of exposures, meetings and the partner of several local and regional cultural events.

The bookstore opened initially on July 17th, 2002 will be victim of a case of arson later one week, devastating as well furniture as the stock of books. Encouraged by the support of the local population and the public authorities, the bookstore will reopen its doors in December 2002 in a space completely renovated and increased.

Figures:

  • Surface: 400 m2 of sale
  • Many titles: 31.000
  • Many volumes: 54.000
  • Effective: 10 people including 6 booksellers

Sauramps Paper mill

Historically at the base of the bookstore, the paper mill which leaves in 1991 the street Saint-Guilhem for the gallery of the Triangle, is found opposite the bookstore, with a space of 150 m2. The offer extends from the basic paper mill to the more luxurious products. Logistics is ensured by the services of bookstore (secretariat, accountancy, reception, communication, etc).

Main competitors:

  • Gibert Joseph (ray paper mill)
  • Paper mill of the Polygon " Écriture"
  • " Papéthèque" (street of the Drying ovens)

Sauramps Polymômes

Bookstore youth. Low gallery of the Triangle, Montpellier.

The Polymômes bookstore is created on November 27th, 2002, on a surface of 500 m2.

Based on a concept " childhood multiproduits" , Polymômes was conceived to accommodate the children from 0 to 15 years with:

  • an offer diversified and of quality in plays, creative toys, multi-media, and leisures, in the middle which the book remains central.
  • books of awakening (0-2 years)
  • books for the small ones (2-5 years): first albums
  • books for the large ones (6-12 years): documentary novels and tales
  • trainings
  • books in foreign languages
  • books for the banked-up beds (12-15 years)
  • a space of animation of 50 m2 open to the public, so that parents, children, authors, illustrators meet… It is held there also many teaching workshops, ludic animations, spectacles and exposures.
  • Six booksellers specialized and two salesmen in other products
  • Polymômes accommodates and animates a reading panel open to all the teenagers (free inscription, with the reception of the bookstore). Its members read, meet, deliver their opinion and propose to take note of it with the bookstore thanks to the cards of reading available in the rays or on sauramps.com.

Every month, the Magazine of Polymômes , an educational and ludic magazine, is diffused free with the customers. The files are put on line also on the site of the bookstore.

Contest of news

The bookstore organizes each year since 2005 a contest of news according to 2 categories: 10-12 years and 13-15 years. The results are announced during the Comedy of the book of Montpellier in May.

Prize list:

  • 2005 - Topic: " The fantastic one or the irruption of marvellous, supernatural in the life quotidienne" - Honorary president of the jury: Gilles Fountain - Prizes winner: Azza-Arellano jade-Kenza for " Aspirateur" (cat. 10-12 years) & Nora Azza Arellano (cat. 13-15 years).
  • 2006 - Topic: " The account of voyage, reality or imaginaire" - President of honor of the jury: Janine Teisson - Prize winner: Théo Andrieux for " The Voyage of the lice: Sière" (cat. 10-12 years) & Amandine Pohu for " Voyage" (cat. 13-15 years).
  • 2007 - Topic: " Science-fiction" - President of honor of the jury: Joelle Wintrebert - Prizes winner: Boris Muzellec for " Pilver" (cat. 10-12 years) & Thibaut Lasfargues for " Démence" (cat. 13-15 years).
  • 2008 - Topic: " The most useless invention of the monde" - President of honor of the jury: Guth Jolly.

Sauramps with the Museum

Bookstore muséale. 39 boulevard Bonne-Nouvelle, Montpellier (in the enclosure of the Museum Fabre).

Located at the entry of the museum on: 120 m, this place are at the same time a true bookstore, with 4000 pounds referred in painting, architecture, sculpture, and a cultural shop which proposes a product range derived, 5000 references, exclusively declined of the collections of the museum: textile, paper mill, crockery, jewels, ludic etc

This granted concession makes of Sauramps the first private bookstore accommodated within a public museum.

Turnover

Percentage of distribution per center of profit

2004-2005, stores Sauramps Montpellier Triangle, Paper mill, Polymômes, Theater of the 13 winds.
Chiffre of businesses net cash including all taxes

By stores

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Compete with and positioning

Vis-a-vis competition (in particular large chains)

Main competitors montpelliérains:

  • Fnac
  • Virgin
  • Bookstore Paper mill Gibert Joseph
  • France Leisures
  • Hypermarkets
  • independent Bookstores

The Fnac settled in 1986 in Montpellier. Consent of the director of Sauramps: “At the beginning, it was abominable. But we had made make a market research which has enabled to us to react well. We took again our growth… but at intervals inflected because of heaviness of our new structures. ” The bookstore indeed invested to be dissociated even more: more stock, more personnel. Thereafter, a Virgin Megastore arrived in downtown area, a Cultural center E.Leclerc was established in periphery, large surfaces developed their rays books (three Carrefour, a Auchan, two Casino). The surface of offer of books therefore did not drop in Montpellier: if one counted 52 bookstores in 1970, against 18 in 2007, current surfaces are much larger and the book is present in other trade.

The Sauramps bookstore offers approximately 130000 references permanently. On the other hand, with more than 100 paid, of the economic imperatives of a company impose themselves. To establish this offer, there is no global budget. Each bookseller manages his stock and his purchases. The bookstore develops a policy of cultural activity(AP)s with 15 to 20 free animations per month. That represents a cost, more especially as the bookstore cannot accommodate animations in its walls. From where the policy of partnership of the bookstore with the various cultural places of the city (theater, choreographic center, museum…). The budget animations and communication are maintained to 2% of the turnover.

The Sauramps bookstore went to seek the request where it is, while adapting to it, by associating the book with other products. In the Polymômes concept, the book accounts for 70% and the plays, toys 30% of the turnover. The Musée Fabre reopened its doors in 2006, after important work, and Sauramps is due to it, since, space bookstore.

Catherine Bédarida wrote: Sometimes “the success of the company makes squeak of the teeth, and certain professionals of the book reproach Jean-Marie Sevestre for cultivating a too great proximity with the regional political power, in order to profit from the government contracts. ” “This year, we did not even answer the invitations to tender”, rétorque the chairman. “On the government contracts, the margins are so weak that does not bring back almost anything. ”

The bookstore is even interested in a file in Montpellier: Odysseum. Located between the city and the airport, this place has vocation to be a recreational center and of consumption. The bookstore postulates for a room of 2000 m2 to propose a innovating concept adapted to the environment. But it is in competition with other signs. Perhaps “With this new space, we will reach this very broad population which goes in large surface and never in bookstore. ” The practices of consumption change geographically. People less readily come to make their purchases in downtown area: the carparks are expensive, they can buy on Internet.

Vis-a-vis the new distribution chains

The site of the bookstore was started again in 2005. The choice was made propose only works available in store (will not to manage books to be ordered apart from the stock of the lbrairie). Internet represents less than 1% of the turnover of the bookstore.

Medical Sauramps

Medical the Sauramps bookstore although based it also in Montpellier does not make part of Sauramps company & Co. Dominique Torreilles (wire of Pierre Torreilles) creates Sauramps Médical in Montpellier in 1977.

At the same time publisher specialized in medicine (average publication of 35 titles per annum) and medical bookstore, Sauramps Médical exports its books in Europe, Africa and in Canada. The company, installed in Montpellier, has a Parisian branch and counts in all 10 collaborators. Sauramps Médical has a permanent stock of more than 10000 titles in store and ensures its presence on the majority of the congresses of medical specialities in all France.

Actions, communication and publicity

Logos of the various stores

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