1,100 bar chairs stolen in Madrid and resold in Morocco
A video shows the theft of 1,100 bar chairs in Madrid. Their resale in Morocco reveals an underground economy network with cross-border logistics.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
1,100 bar chairs stolen in Madrid and resold in Segarro
How can someone take 1,100 bar chairs from Madrid and sell them in Segarro? A video circulating online shows the operation: the mass theft of hospitality furniture in the Spanish capital, bound for the Segarro market. The news, which has spread like wildfire, raises questions about the logistics of the resale and its impact on local businesses.
The figure is striking: 1,100 chairs. For a bar, losing its furniture is a direct blow to its operations. But the economics of transport are even more curious. Shipping that volume of chairs to Segarro involves a non-trivial logistics cost. Is it worth it? Apparently yes: demand for second-hand furniture in the neighbouring country, combined with the ease of crossing the border, makes the business profitable. Someone has calculated that the margin justifies the operation.
The case reveals an underground economy network that exploits urban waste or "surplus". Meanwhile, Madrid's bars are left without chairs and, paradoxically, the terraces remain full. Such are the ironies of globalisation: what is surplus here is sold there.
How can someone take 1,100 bar chairs from Madrid and sell them in Segarro? A video circulating online shows the operation: the mass theft of hospitality furniture in the Spanish capital, bound for the Segarro market. The news, which has spread like wildfire, raises questions about the logistics of the resale and its impact on local businesses.
The figure is striking: 1,100 chairs. For a bar, losing its furniture is a direct blow to its operations. But the economics of transport are even more curious. Shipping that volume of chairs to Segarro involves a non-trivial logistics cost. Is it worth it? Apparently yes: demand for second-hand furniture in the neighbouring country, combined with the ease of crossing the border, makes the business profitable. Someone has calculated that the margin justifies the operation.
The case reveals an underground economy network that exploits urban waste or "surplus". Meanwhile, Madrid's bars are left without chairs and, paradoxically, the terraces remain full. Such are the ironies of globalisation: what is surplus here is sold there.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (12 replies).
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