High inflation leads French people to look for low prices in outlet stores

The rise in inflation worries consumers around the world and France is no exception to the rule. The index reached a record of 6.1% in July, year-to-date, and leads the French to break the taboo of outlet stores, which register an increase in attendance across the country.

The prices on the shelves do not stop rising and the value of basic products scare not only low-income customers, most affected by the economic context, but also the middle class. In supermarkets, it is now common to have to pay €4 (R$ 20) for a kilo of tomatoes.

In the city of Lisieux, in Normandy, the O’Destock outlet market opened its doors at the beginning of the year and has attracted customers who were no longer able to purchase certain products.

“Here I can get things that I wouldn’t necessarily be able to buy at the supermarket. These are small pleasures that we all need. The situation is getting more and more difficult,” a customer told an RFI reporter. Arianne Gaffuri, who visited the site. “We work, we have a salary, but we are depriving ourselves of going to a restaurant, of taking vacations. So here I find small pleasures.”

In this store, you will find mainly food and household items. Offers change every day, upon arrival, and are usually half the supermarket price.

“The price of water is very interesting. I’m buying all my drinks here. The cookies too. We didn’t have a store like this here and we needed it”, commented another customer.

less presentable products

“We are always on the lookout and we can get very good prices on a certain type of product that may never appear again. Today, for example, we have this promotion of corn bread, which we find in a stock”, explained the manager of the establishment. , Vincent Dudonne. “On a day-to-day basis, this means that we contact wholesalers, suppliers and even transport companies that end up accumulating products that, for one reason or another, were not delivered where they should be.”

That is, they are products that had some kind of problem. Some are considered unsaleable from ordinary supermarkets.

“The problem may be an error in the store’s order, which ordered, for example, two batches of a product and three were delivered. If the store refuses this extra part of the delivery, it can stop here”, says Dudonné. “We also have lots that suffered an accident in transport and the products were in an unsatisfactory state for supermarkets. This is the case of these ice cream cups, which are a little damaged. When this happens, supermarkets generally refuse the entire lot”, he points out. .

The manager emphasizes that the place works with as few employees as possible, to avoid labor costs and be able to guarantee the lowest price for the products. That’s why the goods aren’t always placed on the shelves – they can stay inside the boxes and customers can pick them up directly, reports cashier Natalie, the only employee at O’Destock.

“When there’s no one at the checkout, I go to the shelves to help tidy up, set prices and highlight some products,” he says.

High school supplies

On the internet, influencers emerge who are successful giving tips on how and where to buy cheaper in the country. The “Mes Secrets de Nana” channel, for example, already has more than 319,000 subscribers, looking for advice on where the best promotions are at the moment.

At this time of year, the concern of French families is with the return to school in September. School supplies prices are 4.25% higher than last year.

A CSA Research survey commissioned by the credit organization Cofidis pointed out that 68% of parents are looking for more affordable products for their children and find alternatives in “broadcasts”.