In October, sales of fashion brands stabilize, but Paris is an exception

After an exceptional increase recorded in September (at +24.5%), a return to normal is taking place for sales of fashion brands in France. During the month of October, their turnover in stores increased very slightly by 0.8% compared to October 2023, reports the Retail Int panel. for the Commerce Alliance*.

October's activity was marked by “a good performance in the premium segment”, specifies the professional organization, as well as by dynamic health in the city of Paris, where clothing chains recorded a jump of 9.3 %. They have in fact benefited from a “resurgence of tourism” in the capital.

In France, not all types of businesses were at the party. Sales from stores located in retail park and commercial activity areas had a difficult month (-5.1%), as did outlets to a lesser extent (-2.4%). Units in suburban shopping centers stagnated (-0.8%), while those in city center shopping centers increased by 3.7%. The strongest increase is posted by businesses located on the street, in the heart of the city, whose sales increased sharply by 8.3% last month.

In October, attendance at fashion brand points of sale as a whole increased by 1.3% compared to last year. “For the third month in a row, in-store traffic is positive compared to last year, marking the return of customers to physical points of sale,” observes the Commerce Alliance. Which gives a little confidence to its general manager Yohann Petiot, who hopes “that the dynamic will remain positive during the end-of-year holiday period which is so essential for the success of traders”.

The only more negative signal is the decline in online sales of fashion players, of -1.8% recorded in October (compared to 2023). Since the start of the year, their web activity has fallen by 2.2% over ten months. At the same time, sales made in physical points of sale remain stable, at +0.1% from January to October, compared to the same period last year.

*The panel is based on the analysis of the activity of around sixty brands, with more than 10,000 stores in France. Celio, Levi's, Petit Bateau, Dim, Orchestra, Etam and even Mango are part of this panel, unlike Inditex, H&M or Primark.