Action, Aldi, Normal… Low prices are on the rise.
Boosted by the economic crisis, discount supermarkets continue to multiply and the imminent arrival of the Russian hard-discounter Mere confirms this trend.
In September, the Carrefour group got up to speed by launching its first store in Ile-de-France at knockdown prices, Supeco, in the town of Buchelay.
A brand new sign will appear this Saturday in Maurepas, in the Pariwest business zone.
Launched by two entrepreneurs from Versailles and Courbevoie (Hauts-de-Seine), the Malin brand will offer food products, for the most part, with prices between 20 and 50% cheaper than in traditional hypermarkets.
Read alsoSupeco, Mere: the discount battle is relaunched
Head & Shoulders shampoo at 2.34 euros instead of 3.36 euros, a 1.1 kg box of Kellogg's cereal at 3.49 euros instead of 5.89 euros, the pack of six 1664 organic beers at 2 , 30 euros instead of 3.78 euros… good deals are displayed in all departments.
"In France, 10 million tonnes of food products are thrown away each year," said Tom Pezet, a resident of Versailles.
However, all hard-discounters are by nature anti-waste stores because we buy back lots intended for the dumpster.
This young 25-year-old graduate knows the subject well: he is already the head of a wholesaler company.
"Here, customers will do good for the planet, not just the wallet"
Old packaging that has become obsolete, end of series, poorly calibrated fruit and vegetables for mass distribution, supermarket overstocks ... Many products that are still viable end up being "put aside".
The idea is therefore to buy them back so that they can be used and, ultimately, saved from the trash.
“I wanted to create something around anti-waste,” says Thibault Godderigde, the originator of the project.
The objective is of course to highlight the low prices but not only, we really want to educate customers on the subject of anti-waste to make them understand that by coming here, they will do good for the planet and not just 'to the wallet.
"
Upon opening, customers should discover a whole batch of water bottles discarded from the sale in supermarkets because of bad printing of the labels.
Apples were also bought back because they did not meet the specifications of the food industry.
Sweet and savory bulk, cakes, candies, bottles of wine, cold meats, fruits and vegetables… Between 1,500 and 1,000 references will thus invest the 400 square meters of the store.
Promote local products
The nature of the products will change depending on the arrivals, even if “around 30% of the range will be kept on the shelves” specify the founders.
“Customers must always be able to buy everyday products such as salt, coffee, washing-up liquid,” explains Thibault Godderigde.
The idea is not that they take their car to go to the supermarket because they will not have found pasta.
"
At the same time, the creators of Malin are starting to promote locally produced fruits and vegetables.
Tom and Thibault contacted the market gardeners of Neofarm, the experimental farm located in Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, to offer their future customers organic products from the short circuit.
“We plan to have this distribution point, not continuously since the grocery store is based on the concept of downgraded products, blows Alexia Rey, co-founder of Neofarm.
But I find it very good that we have the opportunity to sell our surplus or if there is too much product that we have trouble selling.
It's great to add value to what otherwise would have gone into the compost.
And I think that's also what consumers expect today.
"