17-04-2024 01:21    Vincent

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The Carrefour Reeborn pop-up and its eye-catching vibe

Carrefour Belgium opens a Carrefour Reeborn pop-up dedicated to second-hand goods in the heart of downtown Brussels. This is a European first for the group, and undoubtedly a first in the food retail sector.

Two birds with one stone

Remember Carrefour Reeborn is a second-hand concept launched in November 2023 that assists both private individuals and the group's retail outlets. The platform offers anyone the chance to sell second-hand items; and it also enables the various Carrefour stores to get rid and sell any surplus stock of non-food items.

The concept allows users to earn cash and even Carrefour bonus points.

According to Arnaud Lesne, Director of Innovation and Partnerships at Carrefour Belgium: "Carrefour Reeborn offers an innovative solution to promote a more sustainable and economical lifestyle. By offering a user-friendly platform to buy and sell second-hand items, we are helping to reduce the environmental footprint while offering exclusive benefits to our customers."

Why a pop-up store? 

Clearly, as with any pop-up store, the concept allows us to raise awareness of Reeborn and create additional buzz, but not just on the second-hand platform. 

The pop-up store will also offer an on-site workspace, with free wifi access. Coffee and a Carrefour BuyBye outlet will also be available for the hungry.

My 20/CENT

This isn't the first pop-up created by Carrefour Belgium. A few years ago, an ephemeral outlet was set up in the same area (more or less) for the launch of Act For Food. But let's be clear: while Act For Food was all about branding, here the objectives go much further. The presence of a BuyBye concept right in the centre of town means that the automatic concept can also be tested in an urban environment. Although the test will only take place during the outlet's opening hours, rather than 24 hours a day, the group should be able to obtain a good deal of data on BuyBye's performance in the city. 

It's also worth noting that the outlet has a vibe that sets it apart from the group's traditional outlets. In my opinion, the atmosphere of the pop-up corresponds to the neighbourhood and the spirit of the Reeborn and BuyBye concepts, while at the same time being a connected showcase. There's no need for fuss, just an attic atmosphere (even on purpose), a coworking space and a café, and that can only work in the downtown Flagey area. What's more, the store shows that the Carrefour group is going digital, and that this digital era is easy to implement. Today's urban consumer is connected, and aware of sustainable issues. A pop-up that highlights second-hand with a touch of connected flexible working plays perfectly to the target. 

So, to sum up, the vibe is right, the store surfs on the right wave. It makes me think that Carrefour Belgium is starting to find its DNA in the Belgian retail jungle. Colruyt is the cheapest, Delhaize is positioning itself on good food, the hard discounters are doing what they do, ... Carrefour often seemed to me to be inconsistent, playing around with organic, cheap, quality, digital, promos ... It seems to me that with these concepts like BuyBye, Reeborn and a consistency in a more sustainable and affordable way, Carrefour is slowly but surely finding its way. Now two questions remain to be resolved. The first is "Will the recipe pay off? In my opinion, yes! I see no reason why not.  

On the other hand, the second question that comes to mind is "will Carrefour France's management understand that this modern trendy vibe, which appeals to the younger generation, is a viable direction in which the Group must persevere?”

To be continued.