Rising grocery store prices are putting a strain on consumers' wallets, and a French supermarket has recognized this by offering “mystery carts” with unsold items offered at a discount.
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Customers from 45 branches of the Auchan supermarket in France agreed to buy a shopping cart full of products without knowing exactly what was inside.
Without knowing the contents hidden by an opaque film, consumers only know the price offered for each car, which can often vary between 50 and 100 euros (72 to 145 Canadian dollars), Le Figaro reported. Some may display a higher price.
In general, the customer pays almost 66% less for the products in these carts.
The enthusiasm was quick, according to the manager of the Auchan store in Dieppe, who was the first to launch this initiative, which later grew.
When the promotion was announced on the supermarket's Facebook account, the store “had more than 200 messages in 30 minutes, mostly from people who wanted to order,” director Jérémie Juan told the French daily.
Since then, more than 500 shopping carts have been sold at the store.