This Wednesday, December 25, Christmas Day, a few customers were finishing their last purchases from the market stalls.
“Meat, fish, shellfish, everything comes from the markets. Except the wine!”smiles Jean-Marc, a loyal customer who did his shopping for the Christmas meal entirely at the market halls of Nîmes. This Wednesday, December 25, Christmas Day, before her sister Dominique leaves for Orléans, they came to do the last shopping at Karine Daniel of “La pitchoune de Nîmes”. “In Orléans, they sell us cod with puree like brandade, it has nothing to do with it”explains the Orléanaise. In her suitcases, several pots will leave with her.
“Our customers let go”
Like them, a few customers came to complete their festive menu at the stalls. “I was missing the bread and the tangerines, and for the rest we anticipated”specifies Frédéric. And there’s no question of depriving yourself for this festive period. “In my family, we don’t give each other gifts. So we put our budget into food”he adds.
A pleasure that the stallholders also noticed. “From November until mid-December, it was catastrophic. There is certainly inflation, but the work around the halls also had a huge impact. But since December 20, it has been exceptional. It took a lot of work time, but for the holidays, our customers let loose”observes Karine Daniel of “The Pit of Nimes”. A little further, Antonin Busquet du Gallinacé, even speaks of “solidarity petition” in the face of recent news that has affected the market halls, including the uncertainty over the future of the shelves by 2028. “We see that more customers are coming. They say perhaps that by buying more often, it will save us. It’s human solidarity”he explains.
A good economic year
A great economic year which has not yet said its last word, since once the Christmas meal is over, comes the New Year's Eve meal. “It’s the last week and many, who were perhaps still on the reserve until now, will indulge in this last festive meal. It’s a way to treat yourself after a complicated year for power So for us, it's going to be another big week.”predicts David from the Bruguier charcuterie. A significant turnover, especially since for this stall, the following months are synonymous with closures. “I am one of the three stalls who will have to close from February for the work on the escalators at La Coupole”he confides. David, like the other stallholders in the Nîmes halls, is therefore counting on their customers, to end this year 2024 on a nice positive note…
