EK FRANCE

EK France brings together 160 independent retailers specializing in tableware, home decoration and kitchenware, notably through Ambiance & Styles and Culinarion brands. 

What we do

EK France, filiale de la coopérative EK Retail, accompagne les commerçants indépendants en France depuis 1991. Basée à Nanterre, EK France fonctionne selon un modèle coopératif et d’association qui allie la force d’un grand groupe à la flexibilité de l’entrepreneuriat local. Notre mission est d’offrir à nos commerçants membres une gamme complète de services – marketing, finance, concepts de magasins, solutions informatiques et numériques, formation et accompagnement logistique – tout en préservant leur indépendance et leur identité locale.

benefits


At EK France, we put friendliness and shared experiences first. We help retailers create inspiring, high-performing stores through expert support, tailored solutions, and continuous guidance – building a network where service and expertise are your strongest signature.


FABRICE BONTEMPS
CULINARION NIMES

Why you should join EK France!

Added Value through Collaboration

For Retailers

As a retailer at EK, you benefit from enhanced purchasing conditions, enabling more favorable price negotiations. Centralized billing reduces your administrative workload, while marketing support andaccess to relevant insights keep you informed and efficient.

For Suppliers

As a supplier within the EK network, you profit from increased sales volume through access to a larger network of retailers. Long-term contracts provide market stability, while efficient distribution and centralized billing reduce operational costs.

For Service Providers

As a service provider, partnering with EK means gaining access to a broad network of mid-sized, independent retailers. Our range of services supports retailers in procurement, marketing, logistics, and more, allowing them to focus on their customers.

Our Shop Concepts

Learn more about our two successful shop concepts in France.

EK France
For Passionate Home Chefs
Culinarion is a premium kitchenware concept designed for urban, food-loving customers - both men and women - who are passionate about cooking. The stores offer a carefully curated, multi-brand selection of high-quality, innovative tools across key culinary categories: cooking, preparation, cutlery, baking, cleaning, and storage. With a warm, “culinary workshop” atmosphere, Culinarion combines expert advice with professional-grade products. Stores average 120 m² in city centers, with no entry fees or royalties, and deliver strong performance with €4,500/m² in average sales.
Go to B2C Website
Culinarion has passed the 50-store milestone!
A symbolic milestone that confirms the cooperative network’s strong growth momentum. With the opening of its new store in Versailles on 30 May, Culinarion has passed the major milestone of 50 stores in France. Much more than just a figure, this milestone reflects the network’s momentum, having doubled in size in just four years. It also illustrates the strength of the Culinarion model: a cooperative of independent entrepreneurs, united by a shared passion for cooking, who share their experiences, their expertise and a common ambition to serve their customers. Located at 53–55 Rue de la Paroisse in Versailles, this 50th shop offers, across 115 m², a high-quality, expert range dedicated to the world of cooking and the joy of preparing food. Fifty shops mean fifty entrepreneurs, different stories and a shared strength: that of the collective. Culinarion is now continuing its development with the same ambition: to grow together, whilst allowing each entrepreneur to remain fully in control of their own venture.
Elegant Living Made Easy
Ambiance & Styles offers a refined shopping experience focused on tableware, kitchenware, and home décor. Positioned in the mid-to-high-end market, the brand partners with top names to deliver stylish, multi-brand collections. With a strong emphasis on enjoyment, sharing, and conviviality, the stores attract a mostly female clientele through engaging events and interactive workshops. Store formats range from 250–400 m², with no entry fees or royalties, and strong sales performance.

Go to B2C Website
Ambiance & Styles is accelerating the roll-out of its new concept
On April 2026, the opening of a shop in Riom marked a significant milestone in the evolution of Ambiance & Styles, with the launch of the first shop based on our new concept. Beyond the evolution of the shop concept, this transformation reflects a firm conviction: in a rapidly changing retail landscape, the cooperative model is a real driver of growth for independent retailers. With nearly 90 shops, our network is built on committed entrepreneurs who have been firmly rooted in their local communities for over 30 years. They are at the heart of this momentum and are adapting their shops to meet consumers’ changing expectations, whilst collectively shaping the future of their brand The new concept, Ambiance & Styles is reimagining its spaces around its three key areas — kitchens, tableware and home décor — to make the product range clearer, showcase the brand’s expertise and turn the shop into a real living space. This new phase is fully in line with the brand’s repositioning around local presence, a friendly atmosphere and sharing, whilst demonstrating our network’s ability to transform and innovate. Riom, Puilboreau, Beauvais, Saint-Genis-Pouilly and Chantilly: five shops have already embraced this new approach, within a network of nearly 90 shops.

News from EK France

Find out the latest news from our members in France.

Nele Test

Kurz Elektrozentrum – Award – Boosting Customer Involvement Konijnendijk Mode – Award – Outstanding Customer Experience Kaufhaus Schäffer – Award – Excellence in Stakeholder Engagement…

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News from EK France

Find out the latest news from our members in France.

electroplus küchenplus und Liebherr erzielen Rekordumsatz mit BioFresh

, , By Nele

Martin Ludwig (Head of Business Area Western Europe, Liebherr-Hausgeräte) electroplus küchenplus und Liebherr erzielen Rekordumsatz mit BioFresh electroplus küchenplus und Liebherr erzielen Rekordumsatz mit BioFresh Sommerkampagne mit Bestwerten Bielefeld, 27.08.2026 – Die Mega-Kampagne „Frische-Deals“ von electroplus küchenplus und Liebherr hat sich für Hersteller, Fachhandelspartner und Konzeptgeber gleichermaßen als Erfolg erwiesen. Hohe Reichweiten, starke Kundenfrequenz und…

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electroplus küchenplus und Miele steigern Frequenz und Umsatz im Fachhandel

, By Nele

electroplus küchenplus und Miele feiern Kampagnenerfolg mit deutlichem Umsatzplus (v.l.n.r.): Franz Schreckenberg (Team Lead Category Management Electro, EK Retail), Alice Jank (Category Managerin Major Domestic Appliances, EK Retail), Meike Ullrich (Senior Concept Manager electroplus, EK Retail) und Daniel Ellies (Key Account Manager, Miele Vertriebsgesellschaft Deutschland KG). electroplus küchenplus und Miele steigern Frequenz und Umsatz im…

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Nele Test

By Nele

Kurz Elektrozentrum – Award – Boosting Customer Involvement Konijnendijk Mode – Award – Outstanding Customer Experience Kaufhaus Schäffer – Award – Excellence in Stakeholder Engagement European Retail Award 2026_2 European Retail Award 2026_1 Culinarion Tours – Award – Achieving Growth through Customer Activation Auszeichnung für außergewöhnliche Händlerpersönlichkeiten: Bielefeld, 22.04.2026 – Sie sind Individualisten, Kümmerer mit…

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EK verleiht den European Retail Award 2026

By Ramoeller

Kurz Elektrozentrum – Award – Boosting Customer Involvement Konijnendijk Mode – Award – Outstanding Customer Experience Kaufhaus Schäffer – Award – Excellence in Stakeholder Engagement European Retail Award 2026_2 European Retail Award 2026_1 Culinarion Tours – Award – Achieving Growth through Customer Activation Auszeichnung für außergewöhnliche Händlerpersönlichkeiten: Bielefeld, 22.04.2026 – Sie sind Individualisten, Kümmerer mit…

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Profitability in Home Retail Is Under Pressure, but Data and Collaboration Offer a Way Forward

By Melina

“When I started in the furniture industry thirty years ago, pure commercial instinct was the key ingredient for success. Today, entrepreneurship in retail has become ten times more challenging. Retailers must not only be buyers, but also marketers, social media specialists, accountants capable of steering performance through KPIs and profitability metrics, and HR experts who…

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electroplus küchenplus zeigt Erfolgswege für Fachgeschäfte

, By Nele

Jochen Pohle (Chief Retail Officer, EK Retail) und Martin Wolf (General Manager EK Home Electrical Appliances, EK Retail), präsentieren auf der IFA 2026 die electroplus küchenplus Erfolgswege für Fachgeschäfte. electroplus küchenplus zeigt Erfolgswege für Fachgeschäfte IFA 2026: Bielefeld/Berlin, 15.07.2026 – Unter dem Motto „Unser Erfolgskonzept für Ihr Fachgeschäft“ präsentiert der Bielefelder Mehrbranchenverbund EK Retail auf…

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Harrit Boonstra nieuwe general manager Hubo

, By Nele

Harrit Boonstra nieuwe general manager Hubo Harrit Boonstra nieuwe general manager Hubo Harrit Boonstra schuift door binnen Hubo en is per 1 juli 2026 de nieuwe general manager. Hij volgt Miriam de Bruin op die sinds 2021 aan het hoofd stond van de grootste Nederlandse service-bouwmarktketen in franchise. Harrit is geen onbekende binnen EK Retail,…

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electroplus küchenplus und Liebherr präsentieren neue Sommeraktion

, By Nele

Michael Haiminger, Head of Sales Business Area DE, Liebherr electroplus küchenplus und Liebherr präsentieren neue Sommeraktion (v. l. n. r.): Alice Jank (Category Manager Major Domestic Appliances, EK Retail), Paul Süwer (Team Lead Marketing and E-Commerce, EK Retail), Franz Schreckenberg (Team Lead Category Management Electro, EK Retail), Martin Wolf (General Manager EK Home Electrical Appliances, EK Retail), Christian…

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EK FUN schafft Lichtblicke für Handel und Familie

By Ramoeller

You are here: Home Share Share You are here: Home Die Händlerdelegation der EK mit 37 Teilnehmern aus vier Ländern. Einkaufs-Lust statt Krisen-Frust: Bielefeld, 13.04.2026 – Freude, die man teilt, verdoppelt sich: Deshalb bringt die Frühjahrsmesse EK FUN alles auf die Ausstellungsfläche am Standort Bielefeld, was sowohl dem Handel als auch der Konsumenten-Zielgruppe „Family“ Spaß…

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KIQ-Event 2026: Austausch schafft Aufbruchstimmung im Fachhandel

, By Nele

Die Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer des electroplus küchenplus KIQ-Event vor der Zistelalm. Die Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer des electroplus küchenplus KIQ-Event vor der Zistelalm. KIQ-Event 2026: Austausch schafft Aufbruchstimmung im Fachhandel electroplus küchenplus: Bielefeld/Salzburg, 10.06.2026 – Steigende Kosten, verändertes Konsumentenverhalten, regulatorische Vorgaben wie das „Recht auf Reparatur“ und ein anhaltend hoher Wettbewerbsdruck eröffnen dem Elektro- und Küchen…

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Our Stores 

Get to know some of our french retailers.