For several months, the ShopTaPlace application has been offering discounted concert tickets in Parisian performance halls, and for several weeks, in cultural establishments in Montpellier. The founders, Idris Salvi and Charlotte Leygue, grew up in the Hérault town. It was actually in Montpellier that the idea for the application was born. How does it work? The two partners present ShopTaPlace.
You don’t have the budget to buy tickets to a play or concert? However, some cultural establishments are struggling to fill their rooms. Indeed, according to the creators of the ShopTaPlace application, Idris Salvi and Charlotte Leygue, “30 to 50% of seats are unsold at each theater performance in France. » This is why the partners, both from Montpellier, decided to develop an application offering concerts at reduced prices. The objective: to fill empty rooms while making culture more accessible. The idea, launched in March 2024, therefore allows users to reserve seats at a reduced rate, less than 48 hours before the start of a show, whether at the theater, in a Comedy club, in a concert hall , or for a sporting event.
The two partners developed the concept of the ShopTaPlace application based on the observation made by Charlotte Leygue: “She was always used to going to the theater with her parents. She very quickly realized that she was the youngest in the audience, and each time, the rooms were half empty,” explains Idris Salvi. An observation that she keeps in mind throughout her studies. Charlotte Leygue first trained at the Montpellier Business School before entering the KEDGE Business School from Marseille. A journey that she will follow with Idris Salvi.
The latter says: “In our third year in Montpellier, a professor asked us to create a social and solidarity business. Her thoughts then emerge. She wonders why she went to the theater and not the others, why the theaters were half empty, etc. With her group, Charlotte is developing a rough outline of what ShopTaPlace looks like today. Then, she decides to think a little more, and to duplicate application concept Too Good To Goof which she was a consumer, which offers anti-waste baskets. » Thus, the young Montpellier woman was inspired by the concept in order to adapt it to the world of culture.
Her teacher then praised her work, but Charlotte Leygue ultimately decided to put the project on hold for several months. It was only in January 2023, after a discussion with Idris Salvi, that the two friends decided to make the application a reality. The co-founder admits: “I immediately found the concept brilliant, and we launched together. »
ShopTaPlace is a cultural marketplace that connects sellers and buyers online. Thus, performance halls offer their unsold tickets at reduced prices, 48 hours before the event. Reductions can range from -30% to -70%, and it is the organizers who decide the amount of the reductions. The user can then choose from plays, comedy club shows, concerts and sporting events, places that interest him. Idris Salvi explains: “Once you have downloaded ShopTaPlace, you will need to activate geolocation so that we can find all the offers available around you. Then, a selection of events taking place in the next 48 hours will be offered to you at reduced prices. You choose your place, you pay on the app then you just have to go there. »
An application with growing success
The application was first officially launched in Paris on March 29meeting with immediate success: “The next day, we already had several hundred users… And it has continued to increase since,” rejoices Idris. For several months, Parisians have been able to find unsold tickets for renowned venues such as Point Virgule, the Palais des Glaces, and the République on ShopTaPlace. A selection of cultural establishments that delights the associates: “Today, in Paris, we are partners of large venues, with renowned artists sometimes on the bill,” explains Idris.
It did not take long for the two partners to extend the application to other cities such as Montpellier, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille. Since the beginning of October, residents of the three metropolises in the South of France can now download ShopTaPlace. The latter particularly targets young people between 18 and 35 years old, but not only. “Everyone can use the application, especially those who don’t frequent theaters a lot because of the high prices. Instead of going there once every two months, users will be able to go there more regularly. »
The issue is therefore twofold. The application provides access to culture at a lower cost, while supporting event organizers. Finally, ShopTaPlace does not intend to stop there. After its launch in Montpellier, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, the startup is targeting other large cities such as Lyon, Lille, Bordeaux, and Toulouse.. To be continued…
