Lidl and Aldi are two groups that were in the heyday of hard-discounting in France, but they have since changed their objectives. Taking advantage of the virgin territory, the Carrefour group launched this week the first super hard discount store of the Atacadão brand.
After Brazil, it was in Aulnay-sous-Bois in Seine-Saint-Denis that the first Atacadão store opened last Thursday. In these stores, which are a fusion between a classic hypermarket and a warehouse, we find all kinds of products. However, the number of references in these super hard discount establishments are much fewer compared to other stores owned by Carrefour.
The principle of this new store is simple, the greater the quantities purchased, the lower the prices. On average, the different products are 10 to 15% cheaper compared to other traditional brands. In any case, this is the promise made by Carrefour. Moreover, the mass distribution giant is giving itself almost a year to see if this kind of concept works in France.
For sociologist Jean Viard, this model has every chance, because “ consumption shifts enormously. 70% of us ordered something online last week, and delivery is through the roof. That’s the dominant movement. The second movement is that we want to buy local. This is not the case here, not necessarily. And the third movement is that we want to put less money into consumption », he explained during an interview with France Info.
Concerning the fact that there are fewer references compared to traditional brands, the sociologist insists on the fact that these products are not always inferior to those which are referenced in terms of quality. “ At first, we say, it’s really scandalous for the poor, we make products that are not of quality. This is not always true “, he assures.
Does super hard discounting benefit all of society?
In addition to individuals, the new store opened by Carrefour mainly aims to target professionals. Indeed, for the Aulnay-sous-Bois brand, Atacadão targets between 20% and 30% of its turnover with business leaders, restaurateurs, as well as all other professionals.
If this first store achieves good results, Carrefour plans to open other stores throughout France. Moreover, for Jean Viard, this type of store benefits all sectors of society. “ Lare bobos consume differently, and popular circles will benefit from it, because if there are cheaper things, it will work on both sides “, he believes.
