Cathy Collart Geiger at the helm of the 565 Nicolas wine stores

t has taken several months to find a replacement for Eudes Morgan, who left Nicolas wine merchants – owned by the Castel group – in the final quarter of 2024 after running France’s largest chain of wine stores since 2011. Alain Castel initially stepped in to replace him as interim managing director. Cathy Collart Geiger has now been appointed to run the chain, mirroring “a desire to expedite and boost Nicolas’ strategic transformation as an iconic brand in the Castel group”, explains a press statement.

The company’s strategic change recently translated to some dramatic price decreases on around one hundred SKUs. The company also spotlighted a number of innovations, including unlikely blends of grape varieties and the hybrid drink Hip!

Collart Geiger brings to the company her “rich, thirty-year experience in retail stores – in positions ranging from category manager to hypermarket director – and in strategic functions in marketing, purchasing, regional management, brand management and executive management in France and in China”, details the statement. “Taking my lead from ongoing projects, I will strive to boost brand development”, explains the new managing director at the helm of the 565 outlets in France and overseas. Collart Geiger is also a colonel in France’s territorial air and space force and is a recipient of the National Order of Merit.