LA POUDRIERE

What LA POUDRIERE does

La Poudrière is a Belgian non-profit community organization (ASBL, VAT BE 0406 730 797) founded in 1958 by Père Léon and P. Aimé at the request of Abbé Pierre, formally part of the Emmaüs movement. It operates a community living model across four sites in Belgium — a main community house and second-hand store at 52-60 rue de la Poudrière in Brussels (1000), a second-hand store at 80 rue Neuve Chaussée in Péruwelz (7600), a Recupel-affiliated collection and tri center (CTR) for reusable goods and WEEE at 33 rue d'Aa in Anderlecht (1070), and a rural community house with organic orchards, livestock, and beekeeping at 187 Grote Steenweg in Rummen (3454).

The organization's commercial activity comprises two principal revenue streams: retail sale of donated second-hand goods (furniture, clothing, household items, bicycles, tools, books, electrical appliances) through its physical stores, and sale of farm products (apple juice, Liège syrup, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and recently compotes) produced at the Rummen site and distributed through the Brussels store, market events, and on-site. There is no e-commerce platform; distribution is exclusively physical and regional (Brussels-Capital Region and Wallonia). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Giovanni Mario Lorenzo Morocutti, with Yves Dosimont as Administrateur-délégué and Alain Durbecq handling day-to-day management.

La Poudrière employs approximately 15 staff supplemented by community members, companions, and volunteers. Its go-to-market is community-led — word-of-mouth, a website blog (active 2014–2026), an email newsletter, and recurring seasonal events (Marchés Fermiers, open days, theatre, Easter and Christmas celebrations) drive foot traffic and engagement. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; goods are sold at affordable, accessible levels consistent with the organization's social mission. The organization holds no patents, discloses no revenue, and operates without external venture capital or institutional funding.

Name

LA POUDRIERE

Legal name

La Poudrière ASBL

Website

https://lapoudriere.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

La Poudrière is a Belgian Emmaüs-affiliated non-profit (ASBL, founded 1958) operating three second-hand stores and a Recupel WEEE collection center across Brussels, Péruwelz, and Anderlecht, plus an organic farm at Rummen. It serves individual consumers through affordable reuse retail and farm-product sales, anchored in a community living model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Second-hand Retail and Reuse Services

NAICS

Fruit and Vegetable Retailers (44523)

SIC

Retail-Food Stores (5400), Canned, Fruits, Veg, Preserves, Jams & Jellies (2033)

akta.pro primary industry

Donation, Resale & Disposal Coordination (HSAFAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pome Fruit Orchards (Apples, Pears, Quinces) (AFAGACAB), Natural/Organic Bulk & Supplement Grocers (CRAHAMAF)

Keywords

• Second-hand retail
• Reuse recycling services
• Community social enterprise
• Organic farm products
• Donation collection

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Second-hand goods sales: Revenue is generated through the sale of second-hand goods, reused items, furniture, clothing, and miscellaneous objects collected through community donations and pick-up services. Sales occur through physical retail stores in Brussels (52-60 rue de la Poudrière), Péruwelz (80 rue Neuve Chaussée), and Anderlecht (33 rue d'Aa).
2. Farm products sales: The community operates a farm in Rummen producing apple juice, Liège syrup, fruits, vegetables, and eggs which are sold at stores and during market events. Revenue is generated from the sale of these agricultural products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

La Poudrière is a non-profit Emmaüs community that sells donated second-hand goods (furniture, clothing, household items, bicycles, books, electrical appliances) through physical stores in Brussels and Péruwelz, and operates a Recupel/WEEE collection and tri center in Anderlecht. It also produces and sells organic farm products (apple juice, Liège syrup, fruits, vegetables, eggs) from its Rummen farm, and runs community events, farmer's markets, a bicycle repair workshop, and seasonal celebrations.

Product overview

La Poudrière is an Emmaüs community organization operating second-hand shops and recycling services across Belgium, with locations in Brussels (rue de la Poudrière), Péruwelz (rue Neuve Chaussée), and Rummen. Their activities include the sale of second-hand items (furniture, clothing, dishes, toys, books, bicycles, hardware), recycling services for electrical and electronic equipment through Recupel, and farm production including apple juice, syrup, fruits, vegetables, and eggs. The organization also operates a bicycle repair workshop and organizes community events, farmer's markets, and seasonal celebrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Second-hand shop — Brussels

Quantifiable outcome

• Collects and resells tonnes of second-hand goods annually through three store locations
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Emmaüs Movement / Emmaüs EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Poudrière is an integral part of the Emmaüs movement, founded at the request of Abbé Pierre to join the movement and share its ideal of fighting against the causes of poverty. The community participates in Emmaüs Europe gatherings, sends delegates (e.g., Julio as President of Emmaüs Europe), and benefits from the movement's solidarity network across Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. Members benefit from solidarity, shared values, and participation in collective projects.
• MollekeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMolleke is a nearby associative space (epicerie and café) at number 64 rue de la Poudrière, dedicated to sustainable living. Molleke operates an online and physical epicerie with healthy, fairly-priced, short-chain products, a café for refreshments and homemade food, and a citizen space for sharing practices. La Poudrière collaborates with Molleke for joint events and community activities, including market days.
• Parc naturel des Plaines de l'Escaut (GAL des Plaines de l'Escaut)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Local Action Group (GAL) of the Plaines de l'Escaut partners with La Poudrière to organize farmer's markets and promote local producers and products from the GAL territory. The partnership supports local food systems and short supply chains.
• CAP BiodiversitéminorOthersLa Poudrière participates in CAP Biodiversité initiatives, promoting biodiversity awareness at its events such as the farmer's market.
• Ecolo PéruwelzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcolo, the Belgian ecologist political party in Péruwelz, co-organizes the farmer's market with La Poudrière and promotes local ecological initiatives.
• Brasserie CaulierminorOthersBrasserie Caulier, a local brewery, participates as a partner in La Poudrière's farmer's market events, providing beverages alongside local food producers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Spullenhulp: Belgian non-profit collecting and reselling second-hand goods (furniture, household items) with a focus on social reintegration in Brussels. Comparable in second-hand retail model, geography, and social-economy positioning.
• Emmaüs France: French federation of Emmaüs communities operating second-hand shops, community living, and solidarity programs. Directly comparable as a sister Emmaüs community organization with the same foundational mission and operating model.
• Oxfam-Magasins du Monde (Oxfam Belgium): Belgian non-profit operating a network of fair-trade and second-hand/world shops with a similar social-economy and volunteer-based retail model. Comparable in non-profit structure, physical-store distribution, and reliance on community engagement in Belgium.
• Les Petits Riens: Belgian non-profit organization operating second-hand shops, collection services, and social reintegration programs across Brussels and Wallonia. Directly comparable to La Poudrière in mission, second-hand retail model, and geographic overlap.
• Terre ASBL: Belgian non-profit social enterprise focused on reuse, second-hand goods, and professional reintegration. Comparable in mission, second-hand retail activity, and Belgian non-profit structure.
• De Kringwinkel: Flemish/Belgian network of reuse and second-hand shops organized under a cooperative structure, collecting and reselling donated goods. Closely comparable in core second-hand reuse activity and Belgian market overlap.

Others

• Recupel: Belgian compliance organization coordinating collection and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Comparable as the framework partner for La Poudrière's WEEE collection activity at the Anderlecht CTR depot.

Emerging players

• Vinted: Online peer-to-peer marketplace for second-hand clothing and goods. Comparable as a competing channel for second-hand consumer demand but operates digitally rather than through physical community stores.

Broad incumbents

• ThredUp: Large-scale online resale platform for second-hand apparel with an adjacent reuse/recommerce business model. Comparable in addressing second-hand consumer demand but operates as a broad, for-profit incumbent rather than a community-based nonprofit.

Regional players

• Kringloop (Netherlands): Network of Dutch second-hand/reuse shops with similar donation-driven retail and social-employment models. Comparable in second-hand reuse activity but operates primarily in the Netherlands rather than Belgium.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-poudriere

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 LA POUDRIERE