E.Leclerc + QualityFry: The Perfect Partnership for Profitable Snacking

The “grocerant” phenomenon has become a firmly established trend sweeping across the world. Supermarkets and hypermarkets have completely transformed into urban food destinations, where customers are looking for ready-to-eat, delicious food solutions prepared on the spot.

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The Challenge: Creating a foodservice oasis inside the hypermarket

Under the concept “Le Comptoir – Boissons & Snacking” and its renovated “Le Comptoir l’Esplanade” area, E.Leclerc Yerres set itself a very clear commercial objective: to capture the foodservice and on-the-go customer market. The aim was to create an attractive area equipped with high tables and stools, where customers could take a break, enjoy a coffee or have a quick yet high-quality meal.

However, introducing a hot food preparation area in the middle of a hypermarket presented major strategic and technical challenges:

• No extraction system: Installing traditional extraction systems was architecturally unfeasible.
• Odour control: Frying odours could not be allowed to spread into the other supermarket sections.
• Optimised space: The preparation area behind the counter required compact, efficient and visually clean equipment suitable for installation in full view of customers.

The perfect match: QualityFry technology was the answer

For “Le Comptoir” to succeed, E.Leclerc Yerres needed a solution that adapted to the space, rather than the other way around. After analysing the market, the iQ 635 Carrousel became the secret weapon for transforming its offering. Our intelligent, automated cooking technology fitted perfectly into its strategy for three key reasons:

1. Smoke-free and odour-free technology

Thanks to its unique filtration system, iQ equipment does not require an extraction hood, making it ideal for installation in full view of customers, directly behind the service counter, in a completely safe and hygienic way.

2. Standardisation and “Automatic Smart Cooking”

In a large-scale retail environment, speed and consistency are essential. With QualityFry, E.Leclerc staff simply need to load the product and press a button. The machine manages the cooking time and fries the product perfectly and autonomously, allowing employees to focus on serving customers and preparing the displays.

3. Versatility for a dynamic menu

One of the equipment’s greatest advantages is its ability to prepare all kinds of products without flavour transfer. The objective was to create a strong hot food offering to complement traditional salads and sandwiches, and the iQ 635 Carrousel has made this possible with outstanding results.

When customers approach the “Le Comptoir” display, they discover an irresistible selection of crispy products prepared on the spot:

• Chicken specialities: From classic, ever-popular chicken nuggets to crispy spiced chicken strips, perfect for customers looking for more intense flavours.
• Best-selling sides and snacks: Popular sweet potato fries, offering a modern touch of sweetness, alongside fun and crispy potato bites.
• International and healthier options: Delicious falafel for customers looking for plant-based alternatives, together with a constantly changing selection of hot snacks, including delicious melted mozzarella-style options.

This versatility demonstrates how a single compact machine can enable a business to offer a complete, varied menu that can adapt to customers’ cravings throughout the day.

Before and after: A boost to commercial profitability

The installation of the iQ equipment has marked a real milestone in the daily operations of E.Leclerc Yerres. Before its arrival, the hot food offering was limited.

Today, the situation is radically different, with a much more varied and efficient offering.

Behind E.Leclerc’s elegant façade and the modern “Le Comptoir” signage, the QualityFry equipment stands out in the preparation area, perfectly integrated alongside the rest of the latest-generation equipment.

Customers walk in, see the display, choose their favourite options and enjoy a crispy, hot, freshly prepared product in a clean environment. This translates into a higher average ticket, greater table turnover and increased customer loyalty, with shoppers now seeing the supermarket as their preferred place for lunch.