This year, the first sales weekends fall at the same time as the early legislative elections, a tense political context which makes traders fear an edition with reduced attendance.
It’s the important event for traders: the sales. But in recent years, the obstacles to good deals have multiplied. Covid, inflation and this time Emmanuel Macron adds a surprise ingredient, after the dissolution of the National Assembly and the calling of early legislative elections, in which recent polls put the far right in the lead.
For this first day of sales, Wednesday June 26, the shopping event is no longer as attractive as before. “Every election, people flee the city,” remarks Michèle Moutin, manager of the Excalibur games store, in Montpellier, to the microphone of our journalist Marie-Lyse Pariot. “For about thirty years, it’s been systematic, as if people were a little afraid, waiting to see what will happen and who will be elected… It will inevitably have an impact and provide a calm weekend.”
If retailers are worried about the climate, they can always count on the optimism of their customers. “I didn’t feel like it had much of an impact, because you still see people buying in the streets.denotes a young woman from Montpellier. I think there is still this desire to keep money for the sales.”
“People may be worried about the situation in general, but it can also make them want to treat themselves to take their mind off things.”
A resident of Montpellier
But in this month of June, the sales are not only in competition with the elections. “Montpellier is a very touristy city, we hope to have an increase in the turnover of traders as significant as that of last year, but it is difficult to expect better results in this particular political context which weighs on people’s desires”, explains Mathieu Lattes, vice-president of the CCI (Chamber of Commerce and Industry) of Hérault. “We also have a period which is quite marked by the Euro football championship, which means that, if there are matches, it is a little complicated for businesses.”
While the sales end on July 16, the CCI of Montpellier is announcing several major clearance sales during the summer.
