From the supermarket’s bargain bin…to the city centre!
For ages, cheap, unsold items and random stock was dumped together in big bins down the central aisles of the hypermarkets. You needed to rifle through in the hope of finding a bargain…or some little item to brighten up your shopping. But in recent years the smart discount has become the product of choice for consumers’ shopping trips.
Bargains, fun…and surprises!
With the rise of the internet, price comparison websites, customer reviews and annual sales…consumers are streamlining. They know that they can take their time to buy without even having to step outside! You could say that these “new bazaars” don’t have a place in the current Cartesian and ethical environment. But it’s the exact opposite!
Low prices, high turnaround and uncertainty of stock seem to have brought the fun and the magic back into shopping.
FLYING TIGER COPENHAGEN, COSTCO, HEMA, NORMAL…
All these brands are based on low price, latest trend products. Home decor, food, accessories, beauty products…with an eclectic assortment, all these retailers incarnate this alternative consumerism, which allows us to give in to an “impulse buy” without breaking the bank (too much).
On the internet, the outright champion is WISH. The app claims to receive 2 million orders per day and 90 million users per month. But the trend is reaching in city centres too. Abandoned by more “classic” retailers they are the new stomping ground for smart discounters. That’s how after 450 openings in France, mainly in shopping centres, Dutch company ACTION has set up in the heart of Lyon and Metz.
A guilty pleasure?
At a time of ethical and reduced consumption, you might have your doubts about the success of these brands. Given the growing number of new openings and players in the market, nothing seems to be slowing it down. But who said that consumers were reasonable?