Nice. At the market, disappointing weekend a few days before Christmas: “Like an ordinary day”

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Just want to stroll? We had to avoid the city center of Nice (Alpes-Maritimes) this weekend. A few days before Christmas, a crowd of latecomers invaded the area to buy some last minute gifts.

The shops on avenue Jean-Médecin, packed with people, have certainly benefited from this. As for the Christmas market, on the other hand… News Nice asked the question to the traders behind the stands.

“It was worse than an ordinary weekend”

Some were indeed expecting a rush during this third weekend of December. This is the case for Frédéric, at the head of the Histoire de Provence stand. “I had a lot of hope. Finally, it was a bit of a disaster. Worse than an ordinary weekend, it was like an ordinary day, a weekday,” regrets the man who sells, among other things, candles and scent diffusers.

He still smiles again this Monday when he sees customers lingering. This is the case of Florian and his “girlfriend”, who has set her sights on several candles that she will give to her sister. “It’s better than going to Amazon, to classic stores that all look the same,” smiles the young man.

Question de budget ?

However, he was not even not come to fill his basket at the last minute, but only for a walk. Frédéric puts this lack of dynamism down to the lack of artisan stands.

Really ? Enola or Camille doubt it, and instead rely on a budgetary reason: “People no longer have money. They keep them mainly for the food stands, for the kids’ duck fishing,” analyzes Enola. Same echo from Camille, who sells “quite expensive pieces. People take a first round at the beginning of the month, whereas before, it worked a lot on the spur of the moment.”

Sales continue

Like everyone else, they sell less since the “bellows” of the first weekend have come down againbut activity is not at half mast. The proximity to Christmas certainly did not increase sales, but the situation “did not stop us from working either”, reassures Eve.

This Monday again, passers-by stop in front of his stand to buy a few figurines.

Decline, rise, it all depends. What will ultimately matter is the results. While putting her canistrelli back in place a little, Muriel, from the Corsican specialties stand, concludes with a smile: « 1 o'clock will come^is January, I sold everything. That’s what matters most! »

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