In the Gironde, lost package fever is spreading

L“The group effect is immediate. In the middle of the Auchan Lake shopping arcade in Bordeaux, about ten people crowd around a bright yellow and red stand. The “Lost Parcel” sign raises questions. Some passers-by stop, generated by this new concept of buying lost packages. Curious about the enthusiasm, the principle of which is to pay by weight before looking at their contents. Another skeptic, proceeds.

Leaning over a bin full of still-wrapped parcels, Celine picks up a large white package with her hand. She turns it over, shakes it in all directions and tries to guess what’s inside. “It’s…

L“The group effect is immediate. In the middle of the Auchan Lake shopping arcade in Bordeaux, about ten people crowd around a bright yellow and red stand. The “Lost Parcel” sign raises questions. Some passers-by stop, generated by this new concept of buying lost packages. Curious about the enthusiasm, the principle of which is to pay by weight before looking at their contents. Another skeptic, proceeds.

Leaning over a bin full of still-wrapped parcels, Celine picks up a large white package with her hand. She turns it over, shakes it in all directions and tries to guess what’s inside. “Something interesting in there, maybe a smartphone?” She hopes. A retiree takes his chance and pays 10 euros for this package weighing less than 200 grams. Playfully, she opened the mystery package alive. Inside, a dog clipper. “I don’t have a dog, but I have a husband!” she quipped. “Too bad, I’ll sell it at a garage sale.”

Nicholas, another retiree, comes in front of an assistant to brace his jaw. “I didn’t even know it existed. What do I do with this? » he asks himself, frustrated at paying 10 euros for something worth half as much. After thirty minutes of searching, Rama and his daughter Masa found a robot vacuum cleaner in a cardboard box for which they paid 30 euros. On the Internet, this vacuum cleaner of an unknown brand is sold on a Chinese site for 7 euros. Many unpackaged products are of poor quality or fake, which can be found online on platforms like AliExpress. “This is the game, sometimes we get interesting lots, like connected watches, sometimes they are not worth it,” reacts Malko Castaing, who set up his business with his brother at the beginning of January.

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“Unboxing” on networks.

Both brothers buy pallets of lost packages directly from wholesalers. Packages sold are considered NPAI, as “not residing at address shown”, meaning the delivery address could not be located or the person was unable to retrieve their merchandise within thirty days. After this period, without any complaint from the customer and with the authorization of the supplier, the logisticians and carriers can get rid of the package. They can be destroyed, but this is no longer the case since the Anti-Waste Law for the Circular Economy (Agec), which has banned the destruction of unsold non-food items, including lost packages, from 2022. A network for repurchasing and selling these packages has gradually been established in France.

For several months, shops or pop-up stands to resell lost packages have been popping up everywhere, especially in the Gironde. This winter, the Christmas market stands were the busiest in Bordeaux. He benefited from great publicity on social networks, where influencers do not hesitate to “unbox” (unboxing, in French) lost packages to get thousands, even millions of views.

“It was a nice surprise, I liked it. There were some nice lots, people were happy,” assured exhibitor Dominique Chesagan. He doesn’t shy away from his joy at seeing his business succeed. After opening several stores in the south, he plans to expand next April to Lacanau and Plans to win over Gironde by opening two stores in Solac, and it’s increasingly smelling a big economic opportunity.

“90% Sheen”

Around Bordeaux, stands appeared in the shopping malls of Auchan Bouillac and Leclerc Saint-Eulalie. The first boutique in downtown Bordeaux has just opened, Place Gambetta. Others are diversifying their activity, such as Louis Sekula, who operates Green Haven CBD stores, now selling lost packages in Libourne, Saint-Medard-en-Jalles, Andernos and Perigueux. “Sometimes there are queues, they are very long.” The prices are almost the same for everyone: from 10 euros for a package of 0 to 200 grams, 40 euros per kilo and more.

“It’s like a funfair. Some come to play with the surprise and adrenaline aspect. Others come to buy in batches and resell them at Vinted,” explains Francis, owner of Box Bdx with his father at the Grand-Tour gallery in Saint-Eulalie. “You can really find everything. Parents are warned not to open in front of children. An example could be sex toys. But 90% of the packages are clothes from Sheen (Chinese fast fashion brand, editor’s note). Some people hope to have an iPhone, but that is very rare. »