Communauté Emmaüs Etagnières, Vaud, Suisse

What Communauté Emmaüs Etagnières, Vaud, Suisse does

Communauté Emmaüs Etagnières is a Swiss non-profit association founded in 1972 in Etagnières, Vaud, operating under articles 60+ of the Swiss Civil Code as a recognized public utility. The organization hosts 21 resident companions year-round and runs a 1000m2+ second-hand store (brocante) that sells donated furniture, textiles, dishware, books, multimedia, and miscellaneous household goods at accessible price points. Its core operating model is an integrated circular-economy pipeline: in-person and scheduled donation intake, manual sorting through specialized workshops (books, textiles, electronics, carpentry), and resale in the on-site store, with monetary donations accepted under a tax-deductible framework for contributions above 100CHF annually.

The business model is direct-to-consumer retail funded entirely by donations and store revenue, with no public subsidies. The organization employs approximately 10 people, is supported by several dozen volunteers, and is governed by President Baptiste Marmier with co-directors Damien Grangier and Julien Stern. It maintains core municipal partnerships with the Commune d'Etagnières and the cantonal population service to enable year-round companion housing, and operates within the broader Emmaüs federated movement alongside Emmaüs International and the Fédération Emmaüs Suisse. Distribution is a single physical storefront approximately 20 minutes by car from Lausanne, supplemented by WhatsApp/email pickup coordination, and digital engagement via Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. There is no proprietary technology, no app, no disclosed AI/ML capability, and no funded growth plan beyond continued operation of the existing site.

Name

Communauté Emmaüs Etagnières, Vaud, Suisse

Legal name

Emmaüs Étagnières

Website

https://emmaus-vd.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Communauté Emmaüs Etagnières is a Swiss non-profit association founded in 1972 that hosts 21 resident companions and operates a 1000m2 second-hand store in Etagnières, Vaud, funded entirely by donations and resale revenue without public subsidies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Second-hand Retail & Social Services

NAICS

Used Merchandise Retailers (459510)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Reuse & Resale / Recommerce Operations (EUAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Donation, Resale & Disposal Coordination (HSAFAAAK)

Keywords

• Second-hand retail
• Donation collection
• Circular economy
• Community housing
• Social solidarity

Headquarters

HQ city

Etagnières

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Second-hand goods retail sales: Revenue is generated through the sale of donated second-hand goods at the community's retail store. Every object donated, sorted, and resold contributes to covering the operational costs of the community including companion support, building maintenance, and recycling activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Communauté Emmaüs Etagnières operates a 1000m2 second-hand store (brocante) selling donated furniture, textiles, dishware, books, multimedia, and sports items at affordable prices. The organization runs an integrated donation collection, sorting, and resale operation through specialized workshops (books, textiles, electronics, carpentry) that processes tens of thousands of donated objects annually. It also provides year-round residential housing and meaningful work activities for 21 companions without receiving any public subsidies.

Product overview

Communauté Emmaüs Etagnières operates as a non-profit community organization (association) founded in 1972, centered around a 1000m2 second-hand store (Le Magasin) that sells donated furniture, textiles, dishes, books, and miscellaneous items. The organization functions through an integrated ecosystem of workshops (sorting, books, textiles, electronics, carpentry) that process tens of thousands of donated objects daily. Core services include donation drop-off and pickup (Dépôt & Ramassage), membership program (Devenir Membre), and monetary donation collection (Faire un Don). The community hosts 21 companions and relies entirely on donations without public subsidies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Le Magasin (Second-hand Store) A second-hand store (brocante) spanning over 1000m2 located 20 minutes from Lausanne, selling donated furniture, textiles, dishes, books, multimedia items, and sports articles at low prices to the general public.
• Dépôt & Ramassage (Drop-off & Pickup) Donation collection service allowing people to drop off items directly at the community or arrange pickup for heavy/bulky items via email or WhatsApp.
• Membership Program (Devenir Membre) Association membership program based on the Emmaüs Charter, open to individuals supporting the community's values and mission of solidarity against exclusion.
• Faire un Don (Monetary Donations) Monetary donation program allowing supporters to contribute financially; the association is recognized as a public utility with tax exemption status for donations over 100CHF per year.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 100 tons of waste diverted from landfills annually, plus over 50 tons of paper and 20+ tons of electronic waste processed per year

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Commune d'EtagnièrescoreOthersThe community maintains an excellent collaboration with the commune of Etagnières and the cantonal population service, which enables the community to host 21 companions throughout the year.
• Service cantonal de la populationcoreOthersCollaborates with the cantonal population service to facilitate the housing and residency of companions at the community, enabling year-round accommodation for 21 individuals.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Caritas Schweiz: Swiss charitable organization operating second-hand stores (Caritas-Märkte) and social programs. Directly comparable as a non-profit running second-hand retail to fund social mission in Switzerland.
• Heilsarmee Brocki (Salvation Army Switzerland): Salvation Army Switzerland operates Brocki thrift stores that sell donated second-hand goods to fund social programs. Directly comparable as a charity-based second-hand retail operator with social mission.
• Emmaüs Schweiz (Federation): The Swiss national federation of Emmaüs communities, directly comparable as the umbrella organization for affiliated second-hand / circular-economy communities across Switzerland using the same operating model as Etagnières.
• Emmaüs International: Global federation of Emmaüs communities operating under shared charter; the parent network Etagnières is affiliated with. Comparable as a network of second-hand / solidarity economy organizations with the same foundational mission.
• Hilfswerk Schweiz: Swiss charitable organization that collects, sorts, and sells second-hand goods to fund social services. Comparable in non-profit second-hand retail and donation-based circular economy mission.
• Oxfam Switzerland Second-hand Shops: Operates a network of second-hand shops in Switzerland selling donated clothing and household goods to fund international development programs. Comparable in business model and donation-driven resale focus.

Others

• Telluric / Recycuba-style reuse operators: Swiss circular economy and reuse operators specializing in collection, sorting, and resale of used goods. Comparable as adjacent circular-economy service providers operating in the same regulatory and consumer environment.

Emerging players

• Vinted: Major online peer-to-peer resale platform operating in Switzerland. Comparable as a second-hand goods marketplace competing for the same consumer demand, though operating purely digitally without social mission.
• Ricardo.ch: One of Switzerland's largest online marketplaces for second-hand goods across categories including furniture, electronics, and books. Comparable as a competing channel for second-hand shoppers in the same Swiss market.

Regional players

• Brocki Interlaken / Brockenstube network: A network of regional second-hand thrift stores across Switzerland. Comparable as physical second-hand retail operators with donation intake, though Brockenstube is a private rather than charity-run model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_jAyz4nq8t8KoJRXnk6afQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Emmaus-Etagni%C3%A8res-150026855462460
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/communaut%C3%A9-emma%C3%BCs-vaud-suisse
• Instagraminstagram.com/emmaus_etagnieres

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Communauté Emmaüs Etagnières, Vaud, Suisse