How to Sell at the Braderie de Lille
The annual Braderie de Lille is a golden opportunity for anyone who wants to earn some money. If you are a flea market trader or a seller (private individual or professional), why not take advantage of it? The procedure for taking part as a seller at the Braderie de Lille is not very complicated; on the contrary, the initiative is welcome. Here is some information about it.
How do you register to sell at the Braderie de Lille?
Apart from the pitches on the esplanade, getting a selling pitch at the Braderie market is a real gladiator fight. This is understandable given the large profits to be made. So it is best to start very early to get the best spots.
To obtain seller status at the Braderie de Lille, two phases are compulsory: the booking phase and the registration phase proper.
Booking to sell
Since 2017, booking has been compulsory and everyone has to go through it.
Pitch bookings and pass applications are made online on the Ville de Lille website (lille.fr) or at the town hall counter during June and August. You must provide proof of identity and other documents for identification. This gives you access to the edition before your registration is confirmed.
Unlike in previous years, significant changes have been made to the procedure. To find out the pitch booking dates, check the Ville de Lille website (lille.fr) regularly.
Registering for the Braderie de Lille
After booking comes registration, along with all the related procedures. Unlike bookings, registration for the Braderie is paid. The documents to provide here depend on your status. There are 3 types: shopkeeper, dealer and private individual.
Registrations are made at the counters open on weekdays (from 8 am to 5 pm) at the Lille town hall during July and August.
The registration requirements for selling at the Braderie de Lille depend on your status:
- Residents within the Braderie perimeter
As a resident of Lille, you have priority in obtaining pitches. In some cases they are allocated free of charge, since you have the space in front of your home or your shop.
- Non-residents of the Braderie perimeter
For non-residents, there is a trick to getting a good spot. Accommodation providers who handle tourist bookings very often have good pitches. You just need to know how to negotiate what you want with the managers of those establishments.
Once your registration is finalised, you will be contacted by email in the following days.
Rules for selling at the Braderie
There are indeed rules governing sales over the Braderie weekend. Depending on the seller’s status, certain items may or may not be accepted.
Items allowed for private individuals
This is essentially flea market selling: mainly second-hand items, antiques and collectables.
Items allowed for Braderie professionals
- Sale of new items
- Takeaway food sales
Items not allowed for sale
- The sale of new items by private individuals,
- Sales by itinerant traders outside the square’s markets
- Food sales by private individuals or itinerant traders
Setting up your goods at the Braderie de Lille
In the past, no authorisation was needed to sell at the Braderie de Lille. That is no longer the case.
To set up your stall at the Braderie site, you must already be registered as a seller.
Sales start at 8 am and end at 6 pm. From 6 to 8 am you start setting up and wait for customers. Stalls close at 6 pm sharp. This rule must be followed to the letter.
There are variations of these hours depending on the seller’s status. They will be specified when you register.
Selling on Saturday night: stay open or pack up?
The night from Saturday to Sunday can be profitable: night-time buyers are often less picky about prices. If you stay open, organise shifts of two or three people. If you close, bring all your goods indoors: leave nothing outside, even under a tarpaulin. A seller’s tip: a small sign saying “Back tomorrow at 7 am” attracts early-bird bargain hunters on Sunday.
Selling as a private individual: what the law says
A private individual who occasionally sells their own used personal belongings has no tax formalities to complete. However, the regulations on sales outside permanent retail premises limit private individuals to two such sales per year. Buying items in order to resell them is a commercial activity, which requires a legal status (for example micro-entrepreneur). To get your pitch, see our page on booking a pitch.
Conclusion
Selling at the Braderie de Lille is the perfect way to make a profit from items you no longer use. With more than 2 million people attending the event, there is no shortage of customers. The weekend is therefore well worth making the most of, especially as the conditions of sale are not among the most complex.
