Le Comptoir

What Le Comptoir does

Le Comptoir is a French-Japanese direct-to-consumer subscription company that curates and delivers French artisan cheeses and European natural wines to consumers in Japan. Founded by Alexandre Pereira and Masumi Akiyama, the company operates through a French parent (Le Comptoir SAS, registered in Paris 75017) and a Japanese subsidiary (Le Comptoir合同会社, based in Shibuya, Tokyo), with the Japan entity being the primary operating market. Its core products are La Box Fromage (cheese subscription, from ¥5,890/month across three size tiers) and La Box Vin Nature (natural wine subscription, from ¥8,690/month for two- or three-bottle options), with a complementary EC store offering individual products and a wholesale/B2B channel.

The business runs on a Shopify-based e-commerce platform with self-serve subscription management (skip, pause, cancel, no minimum contract), supported by a Shinkoenji warehouse for fulfillment and a Shibuya showroom (Le Comptoir - L'Atelier) for in-store pickup and tastings. Distribution is restricted to Japan domestic addresses only, and sourcing is direct from French producers on a monthly cadence with deliberately limited quantities. The company markets through Japanese-language blog content, an Instagram community (@lecomptoirdefrance), SEO, and email with a first-purchase 10% newsletter code (BONJOUR10). Member benefits include a 30% EC store discount.

Revenue mechanics rest on a hybrid subscription plus one-time-purchase model, with gift subscriptions adding occasion-based demand. The customer base is fragmented across Japanese gourmet consumers, gift buyers, and a small B2B wholesale tail. There is no disclosed institutional funding, no AI/ML capability layer, and the team remains small (1-10 employees), consistent with an early-stage, founder-led operation. Pricing was revised upward in August/September 2023 in response to yen depreciation and rising procurement costs, indicating FX exposure is a material operational variable.

Name

Le Comptoir

Legal name

Le Comptoir合同会社 (Japanese entity) / Le Comptoir SAS (French parent entity)

Website

https://lecomptoir.co.jp

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Le Comptoir is a French-Japanese DTC subscription company that curates French artisan cheeses and European natural wines from French producers and delivers them monthly to consumers in Japan via a Shopify e-commerce platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Food & Beverage Subscription

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese (Natural & Processed) (CRADACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gourmet & Fine Food Stores (CRAHAGAG), Cheese Wholesale (AFAIAEAC), Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese subscription
• Natural wine subscription
• French gourmet imports
• Monthly food box
• Cheese and wine pairing

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Cheese Subscription Boxes: Monthly curated boxes delivering French artisan cheeses directly from French producers to Japanese customers' homes. Three size tiers available (Discovery, Tasting, Sharing boxes) with monthly pricing. First delivery is free shipping. No minimum contract period required.
2. Natural Wine Subscription Boxes: Monthly curated boxes featuring natural wines from France and Europe. Two bottle or three bottle options available. Wines include sparkling, red, and white selections delivered monthly.
3. E-commerce Single Product Sales: Individual cheese and wine products available for one-time purchase through the EC store. Includes member-exclusive 30% discount on all single purchases. Subscription members receive preferential pricing.
4. Gift Subscriptions: Subscription boxes available for gifting purposes. Subscriptions can be purchased as gifts for recipients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Le Comptoir sources French artisan cheeses and European natural wines directly from producers and delivers them to Japanese consumers through a monthly subscription box service and an online store. The company operates curated cheese boxes (La Box Fromage) in three sizes and natural wine boxes (La Box Vin Nature) in two- or three-bottle formats, with individual products also available for one-time purchase. Delivery is restricted to addresses within Japan.

Product overview

Le Comptoir operates as a French gourmet food and beverage subscription service and e-commerce platform. The company offers two primary subscription products: La Box Fromage (cheese subscription) and La Box Vin Nature (natural wine subscription), both delivering monthly curated selections from France and Europe. Individual cheese and wine products are also available for single purchase through the EC store. The subscription model allows customers to receive seasonally-rotating selections with options for different box sizes and frequencies, while the e-commerce store enables one-time purchases of specific artisan products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• La Box Fromage (チーズボックス) — French Cheese Subscription Monthly subscription box delivering curated French artisan cheeses directly from French producers to Japanese customers' homes. Three size tiers available (Discovery ~350–450g, Tasting ~550–650g, Sharing ~750–850g) with monthly pricing starting at ¥5,890 including tax. First delivery ships free; standard shipping of ¥970 per month thereafter. No minimum contract period.
• La Box Vin Nature (ナチュラルワインボックス) — Natural Wine Subscription Monthly subscription box featuring natural and biodynamic wines selected from France and Europe. Available in a 2-bottle Duo Box (¥8,690/month) and a 3-bottle Trio Box, with sparkling, red, and white varieties rotating seasonally. First delivery ships free; standard shipping of ¥1,070 per month thereafter. No minimum contract period.
• Individual French Cheeses (EC Store) One-time purchase of individual French and European artisan cheeses from the EC store, including Comté 18-month aged (¥1,890), Beaufort (¥2,200), Brie de Meaux Truffle (¥2,600), Tomme des Croquants (¥2,060), Tête de Moine AOP (¥2,070), Saint-Nectaire (¥1,550), Wensleydale Cranberry (¥1,670), and Chabichou (¥3,090). Subscription members receive a 30% discount on EC store purchases.
• Individual Natural Wines (EC Store) One-time purchase of individual natural wines from the EC store, including Beaujolais Villages Nouveau (¥5,500), Gillet 2022 (¥4,850), Les Franja 2024 (¥4,000), Ellypseion 2022 (¥4,800), Vouvray Rosé (¥3,500), Gilda (¥4,500), Rosé 2024 (¥3,900), and Brut Nature Blanc (¥4,600). Subscription members receive a 30% discount on EC store purchases.
• Gift Subscriptions Subscription boxes available for gifting purposes, allowing customers to purchase a French cheese or natural wine subscription as a gift for a recipient. Excluded from first-time-subscriber truffle brie promotion.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Murray's Cheese: Iconic US specialty cheese retailer with subscription and mail-order offerings, sourced from artisanal producers worldwide. Comparable to Le Comptoir's La Box Fromage on curated French/artisan cheese distribution and subscription, though broader assortment and US-based.
• Winc: US-based personalized wine subscription that ships curated bottles monthly. Comparable to Le Comptoir's La Box Vin Nature on the recurring curated-wine model, though broader in scale and US-focused rather than Japan-focused.
• Naked Wines: Global wine subscription/club platform connecting consumers with independent winemakers. Comparable to La Box Vin Nature on recurring curated wine shipments, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Laithwaites: UK wine merchant with a long-running subscription/advisory model. Comparable to Le Comptoir on curated wine retail and subscription, though broader portfolio and UK-focused.

Direct peers

• Bokksu: Subscription box delivering premium Japanese snacks and candies with cultural stories. Comparable as a curated international-gourmet DTC subscription that pairs product with content/storytelling, similar to Le Comptoir's cheese-and-wine narrative.
• Sakuraco: Japan-focused DTC subscription box delivering premium Japanese snacks and gourmet items worldwide. Most direct peer: shares the Japan-market subscription DNA with Le Comptoir, even though it focuses on Japanese rather than French gourmet.
• Comptoir des Fromages: French specialty cheese retailer/cheesemonger selling curated French artisan cheeses. Comparable to Le Comptoir on French cheese sourcing and curation expertise, with a France-based specialty retail angle.
• Cheese of the Month Club: Long-running US specialty cheese subscription club with curated monthly selections of artisan cheeses. Direct peer to Le Comptoir's La Box Fromage on the curated-cheese-subscription business model.
• Firstleaf: Wine subscription service delivering curated bottles to members' homes on a recurring cadence. Direct peer to La Box Vin Nature on subscription mechanics and curated natural/boutique-style wine positioning.
• Tokyo Treat: Japanese candy and snack subscription box sold internationally. Comparable on the DTC subscription model and Japan-market reach, though focused on Japanese confectionery rather than French cheese and wine.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/lecomptoirdefrance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lecomptoirdefrance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Le Comptoir