“
It makes the inaccessible, accessible
,” enthuses Ana, 37.
For the past five years, she has regularly visited destockers: "
I am less ashamed than before
", she admits, "
and
the savings made are really advantageous
.”
Decoration, textiles, jewelry or even food... these stores are veritable caverns of Alibaba.
If the shelves are regularly messy, the prices are indeed very interesting.
With inflation constantly rising, more and more French people are pushing the door of these stores, which have managed to dust off their image.
Among the popular brands: the Dutch Action, which now has more than 700 stores in France, Noz, formerly Le Soldeur, which has more than 320 and Stokomani, which has 130.
For her food shopping, Ana goes to the Destock'halles store in Monteaux, in the Vaucluse.
"
In February, I paid 250 euros for food for a month, for four people, with meat, cheese, creamery and a few vegetables
", she specifies, "
the prices are unbeatable
".
To lower the bill, the mother peels the promotions and does not hesitate to buy products at the limit of their expiry date, which she freezes to consume later.
She supplements her shopping with a few purchases at the convenience store in her village, for an amount of 100 to 150 euros per month.
Read alsoThe rise in food prices is still fueling inflation
“It changes our habits”
If the prices are attractive, Ana recognizes however that it is necessary to compose with the offer proposed in store: “
We buy what there is, that modifies our habits.
When you can't afford to eat as you want, it doesn't really matter if there's chicken instead of pork, you don't care because it's still meat.
The 30-year-old works in crafts and her companion is self-employed.
Together, they earn 2,500 euros net monthly, but “
no longer have the right to go to the social grocery store
”.
It is therefore necessary to compose with the means at hand.
Beyond these necessary savings on the food budget, Ana regularly goes to Noz, in Beaune to treat herself.
She mainly buys gifts and artistic material there, and lets herself be tempted by a few “
coups de coeur
” if they do not exceed 20 euros.
However, it has difficulty buying the stocks of companies closed for bankruptcy, such as Camaïeu or Made.com, whose products were recently acquired by Noz.
"
I have the impression of taking advantage of the misfortune of others
," she breathes.
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"The worst as the best"
Each week, the destockers offer new references, according to their arrivals.
On Facebook, dozens of groups identify the most interesting products on a daily basis.
There is something for all tastes and for all budgets.
"
Noz is the store of surprises, the worst as well as the best
," says Charlotte, 59, who has been working with this brand for thirty years.
Although she notes the notorious differences in quality between the products, Noz is nevertheless essential to her: "
It's not just for the superfluous, it's the only way for me to be able to dress and put on shoes within my budget more than limit.
“Each month, this companion for students with disabilities receives 903 euros, part-time.
“
With the galloping inflation that we know, I fear only one thing: it is the closing of my favorite store.
It would be a real problem for me
,” she says.
At destockers, prices are at least 30% cheaper compared to supermarkets.
Some products even defy all competition, such as a 1.5 kg bag of frozen scallops for 10 euros at Noz, compared to 14 euros for 500 grams at the traditional supermarket.
For Charlotte, "
you shouldn't be afraid of quality - which is there - and dare to buy food
".
According to her, “
you also need to have the time to hunt for bargains and search the stores
”.
Read also“I am not poor, and I go there”: in Paris, Aldi and Lidl are increasingly attracting the wealthy classes
All social classes
This “
treasure hunt
” attracts more than one consumer.
“
The stores look like flea markets and I love going there to hunt for the best items
,” notes Odile, 62, who hopes to find “
surprises
”.
Unlike Ana and Charlotte, this director of human resources does not have a limited budget, with a salary of more than 5,500 euros per month.
She thus buys little food, and orients herself more towards clothing “
of English or Italian brands
”, “
cosmetics and decorative objects
”.
The destockers are thus as popular with the working, middle and upper classes, and are therefore not about to empty out.
“
Between February 2022 and January 2023, at least six out of ten French people have been to these stores at least once
,” notes Emily Mayer, Business Insights Director at IRI “
and volume sales jumped 21% during this period
”.
According to the expert, if other consumers do not go to destockers, it is not out of lack of interest but because “a
store is too far from home
”.
It is also for this reason that Action has initiated a national extension plan to multiply its infrastructures on the territory.
In 2021, the brand had achieved a turnover of nearly 3 billion euros, all countries combined, against 550 million euros in 2021 for Noz and Stokomani.
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