In city centers, above the stores, these are signs that are often known by everyone! Franchises are all over the island. In the textile, food and even household appliances sectors, they have multiplied in recent years. For customers, it is the guarantee of finding similar products wherever they are. But this type of offer can also undermine the particularities and qualities of commercial areas.
Household appliances, opticians, fast food, these brands surely speak to you, they can be found everywhere on the island. “It's good or bad because you can find them everywhere“, testify to passers-by.
This is also an advantage for tourists. “Of course, finding stores like ours is reassuring. When we don't know where to find things we know that there are things there “.
“Sequoia pressing” is located in Saint-Pierre but also in Saint-Paul, for customers there is no difference between the two. “In franchising we always have specifications, a protocol to respect. Everything there is in Saint-Pierre is the same thing in Saint-Paul“.
Aurélie launched into franchising, the opportunity for her to retrain professionally. “We have all the professional know-how that is provided to us, and which allows us to be operational immediately and not to have all the pitfalls at the start when it comes to opening and professional retraining.“.
But everything is not perfect with franchises, the risk if they continue to develop is to see our cities become standardized. “On the seafront there used to be a lot of small shops, but now there are almost only fast food restaurants. There are fewer and fewer small independents, even though that's what I personally find most interesting.” “IThere is no difference between cities, with all the brands found in each city“.
This is the risk of globalization, seeing local cultural heritage disappear”This is a real risk, we already see it in the shopping centers in Reunion Island, we have the same brands as in any metropolitan city. In the city centers there are still Péï businesses which are resisting, but it is true that there are more and more national and international brands“, declares Romain Loire, professor of business law at the university.
It was in the 2000s that the island saw their numbers explode. In 2018 there were more than 1000.
