The 134 m² shop was officially inaugurated in the presence of François Bausch, Minister for Mobility; Jeannot Waringo, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CFL; and Laurent Schonckert, Director of the Cactus Group. It is located in the main hall of the central railway station in Luxembourg City.
CFL cactus shoppi offers an array of locally sourced and regional products. Customers can choose from ready-to-eat items, including cold and hot dishes, a sushi corner with on-the-spot preparation, made-to-order sandwiches, bakery goods, seasonal fruits and vegetables, (partly) regional and organic snacks, as well as a variety of cold beverages.
The outlet is open from Monday to Friday from 5.30am to 9.30pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 6am to 9.30pm. In addition, CFL has announced plans to introduce a “service corner” in 2024, providing mail services, newspapers, books, and a bar as an extension of the station’s waiting room.
To cater to the majority of train commuters, CFL cactus shoppi intends to establish additional local sales outlets within railway stations, including container-based setups. Furthermore, vending machines will be installed in approximately twenty stations or CFL rail stops.
This initial shop at the central station fulfils the demand expressed by customers during a 2020 survey on the topic of “station experience.” The survey findings highlighted the desire for local commercial offerings and “food-to-go” products within the station premises, according to CFL. Marc Wengler, General Manager of CFL, summarises the vision behind the project, stating, “the stations of tomorrow will be places of destination, village squares where customers will be able to find various services in addition to the shops in place and the CFL’s mobility offers.” He further emphasises the aim of developing “vibrant public spaces” within stations to provide customers with “tailored and localised solutions that align with their travel needs across the country.”
For its part, Cactus is leveraging the expertise gained from the existing Cactus Shoppi network, comprising 37 points of sale since 2008. CFL retains a majority stake in the newly established subsidiary formed with the Cactus group.
