Despite the economic crisis and inflation, the sales were a success this Wednesday, June 26. With a dichotomy between the Polygone and the city center of Béziers.
In the midst of an economic crisis, despite inflation and stagnant wages, there are numerous onlookers this Wednesday, June 26, for the launch of sales in the city. The Polygone is still in full swing with its big brands. But opinions from city center merchants remain mixed.
At the Polygone, the stores are always full, particularly Zara where people rush for the low prices. Those accustomed to buying clothes online still return to stores during sales: “I usually buy on Vinted, it’s more ecological and cheaper. But sometimes I can’t find what I want online. So, I come to the store“, confides Sarah. This is also the case for Anaïs who buys online on Shein, where ” the basket of 12 items costs me 100 euros, whereas in a physical store at this budget, I only have 2 or 3 items “.
At the Celio store, Melody acknowledges that people still come despite the economic downturn. For Lucas, a salesperson at the Shooz store, people anticipate a budget and stick to it. Before looking at a product, they will first check the price “. He also observes fewer compulsive purchases than in the past, due to the drop in purchasing power. For Jean-Max, the host of Polygone, people come to buy big, famous brands at low prices. “Sales are very dependent on the weather, but the shops are playing the game and are even open this Sunday. As for the dichotomy between the Polygon and the city center, he notes that the situation has changed a lot over several years. ” The city center has found its customers “.
Installing large franchises
For Pierre Alexandre, director of Serge Blanco, “people have long shunned the city center and are learning to love it again. We need to install big franchises to revitalize it.”. Overall, merchants are satisfied with this first day of sales. Even if, some remain mixed.
For Pierre Damier, the president of the merchants, attendance is at half mast: “When the government was dissolved, the streets became deserted. Consumption is up and down and we can’t predict whether the day will be good or not. 2024 is a terrible year. The Polygon killed the city center 10 years ago. Lots of businesses had closed at the time. We need to stop saying that prices in the center are excessive, it’s not true.“.
On the landing of her boutique Le petit monde de Marie, the manager also confirms a drop in footfall due to the increase in online purchases and poorly chosen dates for sales.
Delphine Jordy in her Parenthese store has the same vision and decided to close its business at the end of July. “Campsite tourists are not suited to our shops. The people in the villas are more regular. In the past, I sold shoes for €500. Today, Covid, the internet and difficult relationships with suppliers have killed businesses.”.
At Galeries Lafayette, “People always want to have fun, they let themselves go, we always see a peak in turnover during this period“, confides Philippe Sempéré, president of Galeries Lafayette and Béziers commerce. “There have been around 1,200 entries since this morning. Lots of German and English tourists, but above all a loyal clientele“, says Stéphanie Rudelle, director of Galeries Lafayette. For Pol and Mariabel, two Catalans on holiday in the region, prices are still more expensive than at home in Barcelona.
