Rome shoppers take pot luck in 'blind sale' of unclaimed packages

Rome: Benedetta slid a manicured nail through the sellotape of a mystery package to unwrap a garden hoe and earbuds. Her friend discovered she had bou...

Rome: Benedetta slid a manicured nail through the sellotape of a mystery package to unwrap a garden hoe and earbuds. Her friend discovered she had bought some sort of harness.

The Italian students are among hundreds of people at this "blind sale" of unclaimed packages, where boxes large and small are paid for according to their weight at a Rome shopping centre.

"Many people might say this is a good surprise," Benedetta told AFP, holding up the wireless earphones in one hand. "But in my opinion it's this. It's a hoe."

"I live in the countryside. I always have to plant flowers and I use a soup spoon to dig. I would never have bought a hoe of my own volition," she said.

Organised by French startup King Colis, the event aims to reduce waste and promote sustainability.