Did the arrival of Fnac in Rennes have a significant impact?
Fnac in Rennes opened on January 31, 1986. It was also the opening of the Colombia shopping center, which was the largest center of its kind in Rennes. The objective was to be able to anchor our store in the city center. It was a highly anticipated event which attracted many people and generated incredible excitement. It was the opening of the first Fnac in Brittany, covering 1,600 m², with activity around music, books, television and photography. At the time, in audio, vinyl had a prominent place, like cassettes, and we were witnessing the beginnings of the CD. Fnac has always reflected the evolution of society. Today, CDs are in decline and we are seeing the return of vinyl, which is once again taking an important place, and streaming, which is a new form of listening.
How has the store developed since its opening?
At the end of the 2000s, there was the revolution of smartphones and microcomputers, which also completely revolutionized uses. With technology, the offer has greatly expanded. The store continued to evolve with the public and, in 2010, it moved, still in the shopping mall, to expand and modernize. We wanted to develop our offer and adapt it to customer needs with a surface area of 2,700 m² on two levels. This allowed for more comfort and friendly spaces, with a Fnac Café and a forum to host our events and showcases, with the presence of many artists. Our DNA is to be an important player in culture.
Fnac in Rennes was also behind the creation of a famous literary prize. How did this adventure unfold?
The first edition of Goncourt for high school students was organized in 1988. It was the result of a meeting between a French teacher, Bernard Le Doze, and the communications manager of Fnac at the time, Brigitte Stéphan. The idea was to ensure that young people could discover current literature, with a prize awarded by students who give their opinion on the selected books. More broadly, the Goncourt for high school students contributes to transmitting a taste for reading among young people and making literature accessible to all. This partnership, which has now lasted 38 years, made perfect sense and has grown over the years. Today, 2,000 high school students participate in the jury for this prize, which has become an anticipated literary event. Every year we find a real enthusiasm among the students who are selected to participate in this adventure. We are thus linking different partnerships to bring culture to life in Rennes, in particular with the Mythos festival whose artists we welcome for meetings.
After these first 40 years, what are the prospects for the store?
Fnac in Rennes today has around sixty employees. Two of them were already present when it opened in 1986. It is a mark of loyalty which is also one of the characteristics of the store where the average seniority of employees is 21 years. This shows that it carries a real history, a rich human memory, which allows it to create strong links with customers. This is our strength. Digital will never replace the strength of local physical stores where we can exchange, discover, advise. This is what we will continue to do within the Colombia shopping center. We will also continue to develop our activities to offer different and lively experiences. Several highlights will follow one another during this year of the store’s 40th anniversary, like today where one of our employees will play the role of DJ by mixing music during the day at the entrance to the store. This is an opportunity to highlight the know-how and talents of our teams.
/2026/06/21/6a37e892f335b779173168.jpg "Israeli visual artist Yaakov Agam dies at the age of 98")
