The winter sales open in France on Wednesday January 8, in a context of political and economic uncertainties, which does not prevent traders from being optimistic about the success of the commercial operation. “We can think that the winter sales will work” this year, estimates Laure Brunet-Ruinart de Brimont, general delegate of the Confederation of French Traders (CDF), which brings together 23 federations of independent businesses.
According to her, the beginning of winter ” costs “ than in previous years could encourage consumers to spend on new sweaters and other warm clothing. This year, private sales have “pretty good” worked “compared to last year”noted Thursday to Agence France-Presse (AFP) Fabien Lignelet, manager of the Sandro store at the Les Halles shopping center in Paris.
“The worst is behind us”
Slowing inflation could also boost purchases. In the fashion sector, prices increased by only 1% in 2024, compared to 3% in 2023 and 6% in 2022, according to the economic observatory of the French Fashion Institute (IFM). “The worst is behind us”declared Thursday Yohann Petiot, director of the Alliance du Commerce, which represents department store brands.
But the winter sales, which ended on a bitter note last year, could suffer from the difficult political context. The absence of a budget fuels household uncertainty, but clothing is an item of expenditure that “is not the priority of consumers when there is an unfavorable, unstable economic environment, with very little visibility”underlines Gildas Minvielle, director of the IFM economic observatory.
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