At the Carrefour d'Ivry-sur-Seine (Val-de-Marne), a newcomer attracts the curious in search of good deals.
A bis store, all dressed in green, awaits customers at the checkout.
Since 2020, the retail giant has had a special second-hand offer, which is being rolled out in 27 of its stores.
Inside, employees of the Cash Converters subcontractor appraise, buy back and resell smartphones, luxury bags and other used video games.
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"We had to have such a proposal in tune with the times," comments Henry Zue, director of Carrefour Occasion.
The distributor wants to find a place in this market, which today weighs 9 billion euros.
"This new offer allows us to attract other customers because we sell products that are not very present on our shelves, such as leather goods and jewellery", justifies the person who carries the group's second-hand offer.
Its competitor Leclerc entered this niche two years earlier and already has 54 stores on the same model.
Compete with Vinted and Back Market
Selling second-hand also means giving yourself the opportunity to optimize the life cycle of products.
Fnac Darty is thus testing the shelving of items from customer returns alongside their factory equivalents.
"We are part of a global approach to sustainability: we offer a two-year warranty, with unlimited repair, like new," says Martin Aunos, director of the group's Second Life.
Fnac Darty communicates more and more about its after-sales service barometer, an indicator that aims to direct its customers to the most reliable products.
“The second hand is taking over the management of the first, with the mission of integrating all the services to facilitate the purchase and remove the psychological barriers, deciphers Manon le Padellec, founder of the second-hand furniture platform Izidore.
The client still has in mind the frauds he may have suffered on classified ads websites.
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With this kind of effort, the big brands hope to compete with leaders like Back Market and its 8 million refurbished customers or the fashion application Vinted with 6.6 million visits per day.
To achieve this, it will be necessary to attract a younger clientele, sensitive to environmental issues and on a limited budget.