while commands can also be placed by phone or fax

Sixteen years after the opening in the hexagon of the first supermarket to cheap hard-discount an Aldi Cross (North) in 1988 there are now in France more than 3,000 stores of this type, proposing an offer limited cheap food. With prices up to 50 cheaper, Aldi, Lidl and Norma Germans and the French Ed (Group Carrefour), Netto (Intermarché) or Leader Price (Casino) are more than ever the bête noire of the great classical distribution. They are part of the tendency of consumers to focus on the "low cost", for some purchases, these companies controlled costs that put on the market of the products or services at prices defying all competition, since the air with Ryanair or EasyJet to chains of equipment of the House or of the person, such as GiFi or Babou.

In the food, where as many as 90 of their offer is without mark, the hard hold a global market share of 16, but it can go up to 50 in certain categories of products.

With this trend that belies is not, the Mulliez family distribution group (Auchan, Boulanger, Decathlon, Flunch, Norauto, etc.) remained until recently rather inactive. Absent from the hard-discount in the food, it tests nevertheless a year an original concept "to the market to the bulk. First launched in a corner of the Noyelles-Godault Auchan hypermarket in February 2003, this space has been moved to the center of the store. He proposed as his name implies of the products in bulk distributed by cylinders plastic vertical, client using himself in pasta, coffee, or even dog croquettes. On the ground, pallets are unbranded in grocery, hardware store, pet shop and Perfumery products. The concept was duplicated since in the hypermarket of Louvroil and lives now his life solo in the popular Lille Wazemmes area, opened a supermarket of 1,000 metres square at the sign to the bulk market.

Other chains, held for all or part of their capital by the Mulliez family Association, they also make testing in the discount, more or less "hard." Boulanger, in the engineering, is poised to launch Electro Depot, a sign "with 10 to 15 lower prices", said Pascal Roche, Director of the diversification of the Distributor.

Little advice given

A first store to open in April in Bruay-la-Buissière (Pas-de-Calais) while at the same time the three Destocks selling customers return or the purposes of series will be transformed into Electro deposition. They market products new, aligned in their cartons on pallets and immediately available on 1,000 square metres of a setting of great sobriety.

For the three categories of conventional equipment blanc (home appliances), Brown (TV-hi-fi) -

(video) and grey (PC) will be added to kitchen accessories. "There is a very strong demand on the part of a customer become mature, who wants to move quickly, reduce this chore time to enjoy more of his free time," continues the head.

With more tightened lines, 20 of references in a classic appliance store, Electro deposition is expected to respond to "buying rational, rapid customer who knows exactly what he wants and has no need of Council".

The staff, more reduced (from 10 to 12 people per store), is there only to help the customers to load their packages on Devils who are loaned them to get to their vehicle. The logo of the sign is a warehouseman pushing a small trolley. "The consumer is now more informed, connoisseur of marketing and its rules." "A provide us to the best response, says the Director of the sign, which applies to all categories of population, because the discount today only relates to hardware contingencies". Electro deposition target priority the first move, the 25-30 years who moved together for the first time and have a minimum budget. A new opening is already programmed in a large city in the northeast of the France and a preliminary assessment will be made year to validate the concept and its profitability prior to any duplication.

Order by fax

Chain maintenance and automotive equipment Norauto, whose capital is controlled by the family of Eric Derville, cousin by alliance of Gérard Mulliez, tests his Ensign Carter Cash, which for now has two points of sale: a first open on 700 square metres to Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois and a second in Fouquières-lès-Lens (Pas-de-Calais) on 1,200 square metres. Without workshop, they offer only the sale of equipment at prices below. "We are still in the State of test because our market is much more complicated than that of home appliances." "There are lots of competitors, of the splitter to the franchise high of range", says Patrick Lefebvre, Carter Cash in Norauto responsible. The new sign is there also people looking for low prices and which, more often, Tinker themselves their vehicle.

It is somewhat the same principle in Bricoman, discount launched in 2000 by Leroy Merlin, the number one sign French arts and crafts, but that the Distributor is no longer at the stage of the test, as his side Castorama is a misfortune with Brico Depot.

Four new stores have thus opened late 2003 in the East of the France (Chalon-sur-Saone, Metz, Montbéliard and Sarreguemines) to twelve the number of units of this new string whose purpose is to "offer expert do-it-yourself and professional products at the prices the lowest in the region." If the client is less expensive elsewhere, the store reimburses the difference, also offering 50 of this difference. On a surface area of 5,000 to 6,000 square metres, located on average periphery, even downtown, are proposed 12,000 produced DIY available self-service on racks for the wholesale and the second work, landscaping and decoration, from 40,000 to 75,000 in a Leroy Merlin. The craftsman is the first target of Bricoman, prior to the skilled handyman. As a result, stores open from 7: 30 a.m. and close at 7: 30 p.m., while commands can also be placed by phone or fax.