Gibert Joseph, king of cultural opportunities in Montpellier, fruit of a “passion for the circular economy born 140 years ago”

Delphine Van Hee, responsable du rayon littéraire depuis 30 ans, et heureuse de l'être toujours. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

The month of April at Gibert Joseph is the opportunity to treat yourself to “a second hand”, a “second hand”, a & ;quot;like new". The king of second-hand books, DVDs, records, worthily represented by the 4th generation of Giberts, Hervé and his head of the literature department, Delphine Van Hee, tell us about this core business which has never stopped to beat since 1886, despite some arrhythmias. More than a bookstore, a house.

The ’month of occasion" operation by all Gibert bookstores lasts throughout the month of April. Here, the opportunity is nothing new. In the 19th century, booksellers only sold "second hand",recalls Hervé Gibert, director of the Gibert Joseph bookstore, place de la Préfecture. "We exchanged, we resold, we advised. We come from this circular economy, born 140 years ago, explains the one who was born from the womb of the 3rd generation, and therefore in the 4th. Simple.

The founder Joseph Gibert, it was in 1886 in Saint-Michel

Things become a little complicated when the wind of discord blows through the branches of the family tree. In the Gibert family, there is therefore the founder of the bookstores in 1886 , Joseph, father of Joseph (junior) and Régis. From 1929, between the eldest and the youngest, the rag burns . "I am therefore the son of Michel, who was also the son of Régis", asks Hervé quietly. Decades later, he asserted himself as coming from the Joseph Gibert branch. At this point, it is advisable to read the history below!

The occasion, a whole story since 1886

HISTORY In 1886, Joseph Gibert, professor of Classics at the Collège Saint-Michel in Saint-Étienne, "takes" to Paris where he opens on the parapet of the Quai Saint-Michel four second-hand booksellers' boxes, "at the time handcarts", recalls Hervé Gibert. More erudite, more passionate than his competitors, he succeeded and settled down at 26 quai Saint-Michel.& nbsp;The founder, died in 1915, leaves two sons. Friction between Joseph and Régis results in two entities, "one to the north of the Loire", it will be Gibert Jeunes, "the other to the south and& ;nbsp;in the provinces", it will be Gibert Joseph (Clermont-Ferrand, Poitiers, Dijon, Versailles, Montpellier…). Intra-family competition is raging, a small trial marks its history. An uncle close to Joseph Gibert, offended to see the collective memory impregnated with the name of the Parisian Gibert Jeune, authorized the transformation of his brand, " Gibert Joseph becomes Gibert J." Confusion sets in and gives rise to a trial. Uncle plays… He loses! From now on, we are obliged to call ourselves Gibert Joseph, “It’s a detail of the story, but it’s not a success!”, smiles Hervé. Mais Gibert Jeune, place Saint-Michel, although bought in 2017 by the Joseph Gibert group due to economic difficulties, is collapsing in 2021.

MONTH OF THE OPPORTUNITY On presentation of the loyalty card, all those who resell their books at Gibert this month of April will be able to benefit from a 20% discount on their second-hand purchases (upon proof of resale). Others will benefit from a 10% discount on all second-hand products.

SCALES For resale, once you have passed the criterion "qualitative" from the product to the second-hand purchase-sale service, there are strict and confidential scales."Algorithms work according to criteria linked to supply and demand."

Angry, they still share the culture of occasion, "it’is the heart of Gibert", a DNA fiber that has woven the passion of Delphine Van Hee for 30 years, head of the literature department. "You can be Gibert without being born Gibert, I confirm !".

Georges Frêche breaks the mood in the textbook section

When Jules Ferry made education compulsory in 1881, the great-grandfather, smelling a juicy market, seized the providential windfall of school textbooks, and business took off. The opening in Montpellier was in 1956, by the third generation of Giberts, "we are the oldest booksellers in the city". There was Planète, Poulain, Molière or l’Âne d’Or, "we were too school-based, too university-based, but always second-hand".

"Literature was a niche", remembers Delphine. When Georges Frêche in 2004, then regional president, voted for his flagship promise of free school books, it was a collapse, & ;quot;we had 3 years to reinvent ourselves!", breathes Hervé, as if it were yesterday! Back to school, "it’was a phenomenon, I’was obliged to have the city's security services, to channel the influx&quot ;.

The opportunity: "an economic obvious"

There's no question of letting go of "second hand", even if it’s not yet in fashion. "It’is an economic obviousness. The opportunity does not prevent the sale of the new one, but makes the book accessible to all, for us the margin is the same because managing the occasion is considerable, argues Delphine. "This is not ;rsquo;is not more profitable! A book is a book and we are the only ones to have this professional skill in France", continues Hervé who is not proud of " never refuse a book upon purchase.

"And I challenge any bookseller to launch into this business, with this knowledge of the editorial collection, this work of bibliography."

Camus, Proust and Balzac still in high demand

The database is cosmic, with 4 million references, with things out of print for 10 years referenced in the same way as a bestseller. Camus, Proust, "Hugo and Zola, but less than before", Balzac, &quot ;it still works according to the school prescription. Bled, Bescherelle are losing speed from the Internet.

Among the 300,000 volumes in store, here wait some jewels whose brilliance other booksellers will never see, "like the collection bound by Marcel Pagnol", a madeleine by Proust over which Delphine watches jealously. "When a student finds a very cutting-edge work or one that has been out of print for 15 years, we are all in heaven.".

Three teams on 4 floors

Three teams, three atmospheres, from pen to vinyl to dictionary! The fourth is the one that the client leaves in his wake, cut off from the agitation and the cold, nose in a collection of poetry that he will treat himself to &amp ;quot;second hand, Villon, I hesitate!", looking for a season of Allie Mc Beal or the White Album. "We must create a link, an environment, a setting, otherwise everything already exists on the internet !" On the 1200 m², it’s hushed, it’s quiet, we feel good… Tintin.

“Treat yourself to a thriller you've already read, an extra bit of mystery!”

The second-hand market begins on the front of the Gibert Joseph store, place de la Préfecture. "My daughter is looking for Mortelle Adèle, but it’s perhaps too recent, and it works really well. But a new copy costs 11 €, so at this rate, the wallet is taking a big hit!", explains her mother who understands that she will have to put aside her principle & quot;virtuous economy ". "Books, like everything else, have to work! I can't stand the idea of ​​throwing it away."
In the bins, we find everything… and everything
For several years now, this fifty-year-old has favored the short circuit, "but also recycling and what impacts my purchasing power as little as possible. One positive thing about inflation was that it convinced me that I had to turn to other values. For her, buying second-hand is no longer synonymous with "poverty", as may have been the case, "but with strategy".
Another example, very different, is this student who is looking for a novel to hit for the holidays. "I’have a pretty significant descent. I sometimes get two to three pounds per week, depending on the volume, so at this rate, the budget is soaring. I buy, I resell. Here we even find things for less than a euro!".
For this thriller fan, "I find that it’s much better when the pages are a little yellowed and dog-eared. Knowing that someone read it before me is like giving yourself an extra bit of mystery.

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