Xavier Perret, president of the Chamber of Trades and Crafts of Gard, notes a slight increase in failures but also mentions the attraction for craftsmen.
The start of the year is expected to be gloomy on the economic front. What is your status as president of the Gard Chamber of Trades and Crafts?
There are a lot of food professions and artisans who work a lot with the end-of-year celebrations. In general, it worked well for them. But we feel that household consumption is slowing down a bit. If a craftsman sees his turnover drop by 5 to 10% in Gard, it is his salary that is at stake! The concern is there in Gard with this question: what will happen now? The months of January and February are not the months when we consume the most.
Entrepreneurs indicate that they are living on their reserves, on orders already taken. Do you share this more encouraging observation?
Yes, obviously, we have a little more reservations. Orders are starting to dwindle. We don't make much of a living from public procurement, except for the building which is experiencing a disaster. Households prefer to save. It must be said that for crafts, we are still sure of a useful purchase which goes directly into the pocket of the craftsman.
For the local economy, what speech are you giving at the start of the year, one that wants to avoid any catastrophism?
We are always in action. We must learn the lesson: there are many things we cannot control with international wars, credit rates, etc. I tell the craftsmen that 80% of their turnover is done by them. It's their choice, their ability to bring in customers, to be friendly. It's up to us to support them, to help them if they need it or through forums, meetings, information and training throughout the year.
Are you going to put in place support systems for artisans in 2025, a sort of crisis unit if the situation deteriorates?
We work on a daily basis whether the economic situation is bad or not. […] We work a lot on the substance, on the long term, from training to business transfer. For example, we noticed that retirements often involved the sale of the fund. Which is more and more complicated.
A craft business to take over can often be a good deal. Temporary help would be considered a plaster on a wooden leg. […] The establishment of a crisis unit? It's useful in the event of a major disaster, after which I think it's more of a publicity stunt.
Despite everything, have you noticed business failures in recent weeks that need to be addressed?
We are seeing a slight increase in failures, particularly in construction, because we are seeing that there are always companies that are at the limit, have a big problem with unpaid debts. We are not yet in a big catastrophe. We knew this was going to happen, the problem is that it is coupled with political instability, the increase in rates, the post-Covid catch-up effect. Companies are reimbursing Covid aid contrary to what some elected officials say.
