800 m² of retail space, 20 employees on-site and off-site, 4 product worlds represented, over 35,000 references… The Beaune’s “small department store” is enough to make your head spin. For the festive season, we take a closer look at all their selections.
When did you arrive at Athenaeum?
V.C.: I took over this concept store in 2012, drawing on various experiences in retail — first in leather clothing, then in flowers — and after spending some time in the wine world, one of my passions.
C.C.: As for me, I joined Vincent four years later, first within the children’s department, then, from 2020 onwards, as Commercial Director.
What have been your key projects?
V.C.: Although our four current departments – wine, tableware, children’s, and the bookshop – already existed, we quickly wanted them to evolve. The wine cellar, for instance, was far more limited: it only included cuvées from the former owner, around 100 references compared with 1,000 today.
C.C.: Similarly, in the children’s department, we introduced an ever-renewed range of games, accessories, and more; and we decided to broaden the bookshop to include more general literature, coffee-table books…
V.C.: So in 2019, major renovation work was launched to expand these retail areas and harmonise them, using oak and natural stone fittings to respect Burgundian design codes.
These developments must have required an in-depth selection process…
V.C.: Absolutely. And with different challenges in each domain. For the wine cellar, we began by focusing on Burgundy appellations and their most renowned producers. Today, for example, we are the only wine merchant in Beaune with allocations from Arnoux-Lachaux, Kei Shiogai, Arnaud Ente, Bernard-Bonin, to name just a few. Then our teams sought out the region’s most promising young winemakers — now another of our strengths — before opening up to the rest of France and even the world. As for wine accessories, it was the exact opposite: we mostly wanted to streamline. Rather than keeping 10 similar references from 10 different brands, it seemed wiser to retain only the best in each product category.
C.C.: And all the more efficiently as we can test these items in our daily lives. The result? Thanks to this meticulous selection work, we have been able to expand the tableware department.
V.C.: As for books on wine, we make sure to gather everything published in French and select only the most relevant new titles in English. Not to mention our own publications. After “Terroir Footprints” by Pedro Parra, we plan to reissue in 2026 several classics once published by Terre en vue, as well as a biography of naturalist and doctor Jules Lavalle, who in the 19th century made an early attempt at classifying the Burgundy vineyard. As a result, the Athenaeum is quite possibly the most comprehensive wine library in the world.
How do you make your selections in practical terms?
V.C.: Given our reputation, manufacturers, publishers, winegrowers’ agents… contact us. To this we add trade fairs, mainly in France, such as Maison & Objet, Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne or Biodyvin, but also in Germany, such as Ambiente.
C.C.: Not forgetting everyday life! While travelling or, say, at a dinner with friends, we sometimes discover a product worth adding.
V.C.: And of course, all the work carried out by our teams. Beyond continuous monitoring via social media and the internet, they are active within each of the relevant departments. The wine specialists attend tastings at estates, our colleagues in tableware and children’s departments visit certain fairs with us to share their views and get a sense of trends, while Anne-Céline Drach and the booksellers devour the advance copies to select their favourites.
What principles guide your choices?
V.C.: Respecting our positioning. We are a gift shop that is more selective than generalist, catering to a broad and diverse clientele.
C.C.: This means bringing in novelty — we try to capture the spirit of the times — but also ensuring quality and a fairly wide range of prices.
V.C.: In short, good value for money is key. Beyond that, we try to prioritise French-made products. And if the brand or item has a unique story, that is clearly a plus.
And what about the festive season: does it involve a special selection?
V.C.: Christmas and New Year are always an opportunity for us to expand our range of small gifts.
C.C.: Fun, inexpensive items that are perfect for table gifts or for presents children give their parents. Athenaeum remains above all a family-oriented store.
V.C.: This year, for the first time, we are also offering a whole range of Christmas decorations with a playful twist: a hot-dog bauble, another shaped like leeks…
C.C.: And then there are our famous gift wraps. They evolve according to the seasons and undergo an even more precise selection process for the festive period. Our customers love these little touches. Since the beginning of the month, the tartan and teddy-bear print paper has been very popular!