Epermarket's 15th birthday sale offers Shanghai shoppers up to 70% off 1,500+ imported groceries, organic and vegan items. Runs until Nov 2; online only.
Tags:By Ned Kelly
Jean-Yves Lu doesn't just sell groceries—he brings the world to Shanghai's tables.
From a childhood in Beijing to seventeen years in France to a small startup with 24 people, each product on Epermarket's shelves tells a story of obsession with quality, of farms across China, and of a simple mission: to make safe, nutritious, international-quality food accessible in his home country.
With a French accent and a Chinese heart, the founder and CEO of Epermarket—alongside his team of nearly 300—has built a premium online supermarket that has become a destination for both expats and locals seeking something special.
We sat down with the man behind the 8,000 products to talk about first orders, French cheese, and why he'll always be an old-school guy.
On his early journey...
I was born in Beijing. At 17, I went to France to study economics and political science in Paris.
Then I worked for a big industrial company in France for 17 years, before returning to China.
So, I created Epermarket in 2011. We celebrate our 15th anniversary this Friday.
On the ‘aha’ moment...
When I arrived in France and visited different supermarkets, the food, fruits, vegetables, and products were beautifully packaged—I found it beautiful.
But flavor-wise, they were less tasty than what I remembered from China at that time.
Yet 17 years later, when I returned to China, the situation had reversed: I found the fruits and organic produce more tasty in France.
That's why I decided to create Epermarket.
Epermarket’s first logo on one of its earliest delivery trucks
On the early days...
In the beginning, the company had 24 people, very small, and the initial idea was very simple: French products, organic products. We started with 400.
Now, the company has around 300 employees and 8,000 products.
On being certified earlier than Taobao...
The ISO 9001 was a standard certification for a normal company, but nobody knew how to establish certification for an e-commerce company.
Finally, we started to work in collaboration with a German certification office.
We later discovered that, as a small company of 24 persons, we were the first e-commerce—even before huge companies such as Taobao.
On sourcing…
Sourcing is challenging: organic certification here differs greatly from Europe.
From the beginning, we prioritized small farmers who meet Chinese certification while respecting the environment and our international standards.
That's why we now partner with 39 mid-sized farms through close collaboration—not just buying, but auditing each farm against our original criteria.
Finding products that matched our expectations was very difficult, especially early on, and took considerable time.
On getting the name out there…
Marketing was the other major challenge—finding customers. At the time, we were a small, unknown company.
So we launched around 100 events per year; everyone participated and we went everywhere.
That took real energy. It was a major challenge.
Fortunately, I had a fantastic, hardworking team—both Chinese and foreign—and that made all the difference.
Hosting monthly markets at the Epermarket warehouse for the local community
On the first ‘100 order day’...
I still remember: nine months after founding, we received 100 orders in a single day.
The whole company celebrated together that evening—plenty of drinks, and some couldn't quite believe it. "100 in a day?" Yes, 100 a day.
For a young startup, that was something.
On the business today...
We run two businesses: B2C and B2B.
B2C serves individual customers with 1,500–2,000 deliveries daily.
B2B supplies hotels, restaurants, consulates, chambers of commerce, and even Disneyland.
In retail, we're a small company competing with big players, so we've carved out a unique, specialized place.
Expats give us good market share, but Chinese customers are our largest group—affluent families and young professionals who've studied or worked abroad.
They see us as a destination supermarket where they can find every small European or American product in one place.
Jean-Yves Lu giving a presentation at Grand Hotels Golden Spoon Gala where Epermarket won an award for being an Outstanding Partner with its B2B business
On what makes Epermarket different...
We are not a large retailer. We specialize in imported food.
We are a leader in organic with more than 600 products, and vegan with more than 500 products. We have gluten-free, superfoods, and more.
On some segmentation of products, we are also becoming a leader. For example, we have more than 340 cheeses, which is also unique in China.
So that is, I think, the company's identity. We are different. We are unique.
On going plant-based…
That niche-first approach extends to newer categories, too. We recently launched our own range of plant-based meat products, including ready-to-eat options—a response to a gap in the market left by plant-based brands that have come and gone.
It's the same philosophy that built the business: find the communities that big retailers overlook, and serve them properly.
On the thrill of being first to market...
It always creates a buzz—especially when customers are asking and we finally secure something no one else has.
In this business, there's personal passion and professional passion. Professionally, we always try to be first in China with healthy products.
Personally, I'm old-style—I love nice products, maybe not always healthy: meat, cheese, that sort of thing.
But everything is based on one rule: safety.
During the lockdown, living in the office along with the team
On finding the farmers...
We have a dedicated sourcing team always looking.
Through our reputation in organic imports, suppliers and farmers now come to us directly—even though we're small.
Our 39 farms span China, chosen for seasonality and quality testing. Tomatoes, for example, rotate from Shanghai to Shandong to Yunnan.
We also partner with a 75-year-old Shanghai farmer whose traditional soy sauce wins top testing honors; we take his entire small yield exclusively, letting him plan ahead rather than negotiate at market.
On the perks of the job…
Every day in the food business is enjoyable, even if running a company is complicated. With over 500 suppliers and 250 new products monthly for 15 years straight, imagine how much we taste daily.
Inside the new Epermarket warehouse
On Epermarket Kitchen...
Since the beginning, sourcing good, healthy products has been our challenge—but Chinese regulations mean many products simply can't be imported. That's the first reason we created the Kitchen.
The second: customers are getting younger and want ready-to-eat food. Today we produce smoothies, salads, dishes, and party platters—items hard to find in China.
Imported ready meals are full of artificial additives; local options are poor quality.
Our conviction is simple: everything from Epermarket Kitchen is made without any additives.
On its popularity in South China…
In Guangzhou and Shenzhen, Epermarket Kitchen is very popular, possibly because Western food options there aren't as strong.
The expat population in the South also skews younger, with more young professionals than in Shanghai.
Epermarket’s first physical store, Dailies, opened in 2020
On steady success...
For 15 years, we've grown progressively—averaging 15 to 40% per year.
I know some Chinese companies double or triple turnover annually, but we prefer to grow safely. That's the company's approach.
Along the way, we've acquired and merged with other companies—for example, merging with a company in South China in 2020.
On future plans...
We average 250 new products a month—I know I put a lot of pressure on my team with constant new projects.
We just launched an ambitious new market hall section after receiving special requests for seasonal, very fresh products from expat and Chinese customers alike.
Think fresh burrata by air freight, herbs that are hard to source, and seafood—whole turbots, slipper lobsters, live mussels from Mont Saint-Michel.
These are pre-order only, but you can't find them anywhere else. It's about meeting special requests and pleasing these communities.
Epermarket: Now with a much improved design, custom boxes, and electric vehicles
On giving back...
Since the beginning, our team has chosen a charity or environmental project each year.
We've planted 6,000 trees across Ningxia and Inner Mongolia through customer participation, and supported heart surgeries for children.
We also work with Madaifu, a French-founded association supporting children's education in Gansu.
Each year we ask customers to buy an organic apple box from the region, with all proceeds going to the association—now helping about 123 children.
Recently, one of the first children reached university.
Huge Birthday Sale!
Speaking of giving back, Epermarket’s 15 year celebrations come with some seriously good deals!
Their Birthday Sale is packed with savings across the board, making it the perfect time to stock up on your favorite foods and discover something new.
Running until November 2, you can get up to 70% OFF on more than 1,500 products.
That's a whole lot of birthday bargains!
Click the link below to find out all about it…
READ MORE: Epermarket Turns 15 with Huge Birthday Sale
No comments:
Post a Comment