Under the neon lights of the Auchan hypermarket in Fontenay-sous-Bois, in Val-de-Marne, Nathanaël scrupulously observes the shape of the “mystery carts” lined up in front of him. In the aisles of the store, around twenty of these giant packages, covered in black plastic and no one knows what they contain, are waiting to find a buyer. The little boy ends up choosing one of them, the price of which is 188 euros, “instead of 563.76 euros” – a reduction of more than 60%. Her grandmother, Isabelle, took the plunge. “The purchase price is not trivial, especially at the moment… But whatever happens, I will be a winner,” she explains, convinced by the promise of this good deal. Without even having taken the time to complete the rest of her shopping, she goes to the checkout. On this Saturday morning, this loyal customer confides “not to expect anything”. Surprise is part of the game, and the discovery of his winnings will bring “a little touch of the unexpected” to his weekly chore.
A few minutes later, a seller cuts the opaque plastic with a cutter, revealing a patterned duvet cover, small decorative objects, a wireless headset, a cleaning brush or even an electric epilator from a major brand. home appliance. No toys for Nathanaël, no smartphone or the latest kitchen equipment… But that doesn’t matter. “Even if the objects won’t all be useful to me, I wanted to try my luck!”, reassures Isabelle, confirming that she will always be able to offer or resell what she doesn’t like. Behind her, several curious people take a look at the contents of the cart, hesitating to repeat the experience. You have to act quickly: in half an hour, half of the available packages have already been sold, for sums of up to 190 euros.
“The fun side and the promotion displayed appeal to a lot of people, of all ages and all socio-professional categories,” says Philippe Lonjon, store director. Maryvonne and her husband, accustomed to small independent businesses in the wealthy neighborhoods of Vincennes (Val-de-Marne), also tried their luck. “We’re players, so we took cart number 6, my husband’s birthday,” says Maryvonne. Faced with the jewelry box, the essential oil diffuser or the set of pans discovered after spending 145 euros, the retiree is not entirely convinced. “I will only keep a few decorative elements… But it was worth it just for the fun of it,” she assures.
“Fantasy of the good deal”
Starting last October from the initiative of a store director in Dieppe (Seine-Maritime), the idea of these mystery trolleys has attracted, in a few months, more than 45 Auchan establishments throughout France. “Each time, it’s a huge success. Customers are sometimes surprised, but always leave happy. And for us, it allows us to destock,” summarizes Philippe Lonjon. Competing brands, such as Carrefour or Intermarché, quickly adopted the trend, offering their own version of surprise baskets – the final value of which is always displayed as “two to three times higher” than the in-store purchase price.
“As soon as we break the routine in the principles of consumption, for example by inventing this type of promotion, it works,” analyzes Patrice Duchemin, sociologist of consumption. Despite rather high purchase prices during this period of inflation, “the fantasy of a good deal and a good surprise is enough to win over the customer and create a buzz”, believes the researcher. On social networks, this quest for “the good deal” never ceases to fascinate Internet users. Filmed in time-lapse against a background of pop music, with humor or even commented in ASMR, these soft voices supposedly relaxing, certain opening videos of these mystery carts have been seen by tens of thousands of subscribers. At the Auchan Dieppe store, where the operation has already been repeated around ten times, this visibility would have even led certain customers to become “loyalists of the operation”, according to the director, Jérémie Juan. Even if it means leaving with the same objects, to then swap them in the hypermarket gallery. Like before.
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