Today, Sabrina is looking for lighters, but with each visit, that changes.
And this time, she intends to take chalk and small toys to please her two children.
"Here, I unearth both useful things, but also small items that are good for morale," smiles this stay-at-home mother, who came with her youngest daughter, and who is now one of the regulars.
Places?
The first floor of the vast Carrefour of the Créteil Soleil shopping center (Val-de-Marne), or rather its all red space marked "Outlet", which will soon be renamed the "Good business corner".
A corner opened in July 2020, and which is already attracting a lot of people: here, in this 300 m2 space, the aisles are very busy, while in the classic departments of this Carrefour, located all around (household appliances, etc.) , customers can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
"For six months, about one in three Carrefour customers have taken a detour through this bargain corner", rejoices Laurent Berthonneau, the food and non-food manager of this Carrefour, who points out "the many questions from people, surprised to see that there can be quality at a low price ”.
60 to 80 new spaces planned in France in 2021
It was in Belgium, on an original idea by Philippe Fauquet, in the house for thirty years, that the concept was born at the end of 2019. In this country where “hard discount” stores (broken prices) are very present, the the idea is then to launch discount spaces within Carrefour.
The concept is spreading in Spain, Poland, Romania, but also since summer 2020 in France.
In France, 23 hypermarkets and supermarkets already have space at low prices.
And it works.
All over.
So much so that 60 to 80 new spaces should open in France in 2021. The Carrefour group is also targeting Italy, where more than 300 points of sale should open this year.
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Precise figures, we will not have.
No turnover, no announced profitability, of course.
Just the sign she agrees to say very satisfied.
“The important thing is that customer satisfaction is there.
In these times of crisis, there is an appetite, people need to indulge themselves, even with a small budget, to treat themselves to objects which will brighten up their daily lives, ”explains Philippe Fauquet with enthusiasm.
Here, prices play an essential role.
Products that come from Europe ... or Asia
In the "tables" (
Editor's note: metal bins
), items for less than 1, 2 or 3 euros.
Vegetable peeler (0.49 euro), nail clippers (0.39 euro), glue (0.89 euro) a magic grater with holder (0.89 euro), a glass carafe (2, 15 euros), an umbrella (2.69 euros) brushes (1.39 euros), a crystal salad bowl from Poland (2.19 euros).
Randomly along the aisles, there are also branded products, such as these Dunlop swimming goggles (0.69 euro), these Grundig headphones (1.99 euro), or this Stanley glue (0.80 euro).
To acquire this range of items, a team of around ten buyers, spread over several European countries, group together the purchases.
Unsurprisingly, the products that arrive in the bins come from Europe… or Asia.
Among these good deals, a specific corner, stamped "top business", also offers products more expensive than 1, 2 or 3 euros, such as this auxiliary heater at 29.90 euros or this AEG sewing machine at 69, 99 euros, but at much more interesting prices than if you bought them on the Internet.
"30 to 35% of new articles every 15 days"
Low prices, but also new ... Because if the concept works, it is also because the stock changes regularly.
The surprise effect is significant: “On average, we offer 30 to 35% new items every two weeks,” emphasizes Philippe Fauquet.
Mahjoub was not mistaken: he comes "to take a look" as soon as "Madame does her shopping on the ground floor" (
Editor's note: from the Carrefour
), in search of tools to tinker.
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While waiting to be able to afford the AEG sewing machine, Nacera left that day with lots of diverse and varied objects.
Invoice: around 60 euros.
"These are small prices, of course, but at the end, as we often fall for, the bill is there," she admits.
The brand does not hide it, with this new concept, it intends to recruit new customers, proven “promophiles”, but also families with children, who will come to have fun.
