All that's left to do is wrap them! Closing the trunk of their car, Laurent and Valérie calmly leave the Maisons du Monde parking lot in Vineuil. “We took a shelf for my mother. We're almost done shopping. » The only downside: a « petit » gift purchased on the Web has not yet arrived. “The package must be stuck somewhere”breathes the couple from Houssay.
On the other side of the road, the shelves are crowded at King Cadeau, where the sellers are collecting cash while the meters of gift wrap are being cut. Maëlys, from Paris, and Sophie, from Muides, come out with their arms full. Between the puzzles and other toys derived from manga, they spent nearly €170. “We always wait until the last momentsmile the aunt and grandmother of three young boys. Their tastes change over the year and as there are several aunts and grannies, we wait for everyone to make their list to avoid duplication. »
“I started in mid-November to lay everything out”
Behind them, Charlotte and Pascal, parents of four children, rush in with figurines stacked on top of each other. “We took our time. We still have a lot to buy, but we'll get there (laughs). There were people in the supermarkets, so we came there. »
Adrien and Laurent have finished with the Christmas presents. Now it’s time to think about meals!
© (Photo NR, Fabien Burgaud)
Shopping arcades where Athena and Anna strolled, very happy to count on “gift vouchers” of their employers to decorate the tree on the evening of December 24. “I took board games and video games for the children. I'm doing everything today because the week is complicated! »launches first. “Me, everything is ready!boasts Anna, who has just taken two gift cards for her partner and her son-in-law. I started mid-November by laying everything out. »
While some deplore attendance below expectations (read below)rue du Commerce in Blois has regained a certain frenzy, with a good number of passers-by. “It hasn’t stopped for a week!”appreciates Charles Casteran, manager of the Draco Geek Shop pop-up store, where low-cost card games and essential board games are stocked. There is always the rush effect before Christmas. »
People for the local
It's not the Art des Sens boutique, also for a limited time a few meters away, which will say the opposite. The proposals from thirty-five regional artisans in textiles, soap and even jewelry were a hit. “There is something for all budgets, from children to adults. People are happy to have unique pieces made with the heart”greets one of the seamstresses exhibiting, Mathilde Moncuit. “The local side speaks to me. It’s no more expensive than in a traditional store”greets Bénédicte, who opted for ceramics.
The Art des Sens boutique, rue du Commerce, is always full a few days before Christmas. Good news for artisans who offer their products.
© (Photo NR, Fabien Burgaud)
Not far away, Lydia and Pierre-Alain have their hands full of bags: clothes, board games, CDs… “I'm not good at anticipation, I'm just starting the presents. I only took one record for my father, that's not much, right? »they discuss.
Laurent and Adrien come out of the Labbé bookstore, with quite a few books. “I wanted them to read. We said to ourselves that we would read a chapter a day during the two weeks of vacation. » The gifts are over for the family. “But we still haven’t thought about the meal!” »he laughs.
“Like a Monday in June”
While toy stores and other shopping centers were full this Saturday, some did not benefit from the “rush” effect like at Maisons du Monde in Vineuil. “It doesn’t feel like a Saturday before Christmas but more like a Monday in June. We only have one person behind the cash register”notes director Laëtitia Meunier. Half-price decoration stands have “worked well from the beginning of December, when people got their salaries perhaps”. A small consolation. “In 2023, we felt people were less cautious, they wanted to please. There, we don't have a lot of purchases. We hear that people don't know what the start of the year will look like. There is inflation, the political situation, all of that has big negative impacts. Customers even ask us when the next sales or private sales will be…” she laments, banking on Sunday openings to reverse the situation.
