Lidl store in Hay les Roses (Val-de-Marne), on a Friday in January. Like every day before the opening at 8:30 am, Marvin, the freshness manager, sorts out the fruits and vegetables not sold the day before. As these fresh products do not carry a use by date (DLC), it is their eye that makes the difference: items in good condition will be returned to the shelves.
But the zucchini, split in half, the slightly damaged apples, the cherry tomatoes, one of which is crushed, or the avocados, the packaging of which has been opened, are crated. As soon as it reaches ten products, it leaves to be sold at the entrance of the store, at the unbeatable price of 1 euro. Notice to the first arrivals!
Customers rush to the crates
Today, five crates will be in “total promo” mode. It is 9 o'clock. Two customers, who came especially early, rush to the crates in place. Very quickly, another couple also takes a cash register, while the last two leave in the blink of an eye. A lady leaves, chewing overflowing from her caddy. "Say, she almost tore my arm that one," grumbles Najat, who rejoices at the sight of strawberries, carrots and other avocados, sometimes "naughty", as a customer says, but consumable.
"These items are no longer at their optimum, but they are not products unfit for consumption," insists Jean-Baptiste Léger, the CSR director (corporate social responsibility) of the brand. Since the end of 2016, all Lidl in France have been renewing the operation every day. And it works. “At the beginning, recalls the freshness manager, Marvin, there were a few crates left. Not anymore, and this operation has attracted new customers. "
Meat and fish also at bargain prices
In the butchery department, too, the fight against waste and hunting for low prices is essential. Every day, in a special container, meat and fish close to their expiration date are sold. One day before, the discount is 30%. On the day of the deadline, all products are labeled at 50 cents. At 9 am, out of the 15 items sold at this price (minced meat, Toulouse sausages, chicken, etc.), all found takers. "The other products at 30%, them, will leave during the day," predicts Marvin.
A client, Issam, comes to take a look: "It's good that Lidl is doing this, but the fish must be eaten the same day", he regrets, before leaving. Mr. Roger, a nice retired man, took quite a bit of meat "for my cats, who don't really like kibble, and it's still quite an economy". It will freeze everything and bring out the products one by one. Sandrine is not convinced: "I don't trust their labels".
All these products at very low prices are first passed into “losses” by the store, before going back to the cash register with a special waste code. "Like that, we can track them down and pay half of the money collected at Restos du Coeur as promised," concludes Jean-Baptiste Léger.
