The multiple cries of alarm launched by the traders for weeks, and will not have changed: according to the first estimates, the winter sale which ends this Tuesday, February 19, were not enough to mitigate and even reverse the adverse effect that have had the mobilizations of the “yellow vests” since November on consumption, active the hopes of the professionals. At different scales, many actors make up results clearly disappointing and worrying about the continuation of events despite a situation that was already “catastrophic”.
” READ ALSO – “yellow Vests”: the State will submit a plan of action to assist the traders
In Paris, a survey of traders involved in the balances, and published by the CCI Paris Île-de-France reveals that “neither the celebration of the end of the year or the balances have allowed traders to “find a new attendance and sales were satisfactory: 84% of them believe that the protests have had an impact very important or important to their business, and 81% of professionals are concerned about continued engagement in the weeks to come. The document deplores the Saturdays “victims”: according to a shopkeeper, “people have seen the images of violence on television, they are afraid to come,” and postpone their purchase decision sine die. Even worse, this slowdown occurs after a beginning of season “very modest”, adding to the pre-existing situation: half of the traders said it was already unsatisfied with their sales, in September-October, at the dawn of the movement of the “yellow vests”.
Value of the average basket decreased, increased competition from internet sites, decrease of the attendance by the consumer… indicators are remarkably poor. Two-thirds of all traders surveyed reported a result lower than last year, and 75% of these to explain what a poor figure by the fears aroused by the raising of the “yellow vests”. One-third of the traders is even feared that the balances do not generate any surplus revenue.
“yellow Vests” : how the merchants parisians protect themselves for several months – Look on Figaro Live
A general finding
The example paris is not an isolated case: at the national level, many institutions acknowledge that they are disappointed by the review of these balances, on which they relied to mitigate the losses of a year-end concern. In mid-January, the Alliance of trade considered that “the movement of the “yellow vests” has weighed heavily on the textile sector: up to 4.3% drop to sales of brands of clothing, in December, figures, explained “essentially the continuation and amplification of the movement” popular.
others are doing better: according to Gontran Thüring, executive director of the national Council of shopping centres (NBAC), attendance at health centres has remained stable during the sales period, from 9 January to mid-February, with a decline limited to 0.8%. “Shopping centres are more resilient than the self-employed”, be satisfied with the representative, which highlights all of the same effects on the long-term mobilizations, such as a report of the purchases from Saturday to Sunday. This good result, compared to the shops independent, is indeed in large part caused by the opening Sunday of the stores: “we have seen a big report of attendance from Saturday to Sunday, and sharp increases in activity on the Sunday,” says Gontran Thüring, who even considers that “the Sunday gradually became a drinking day like the others”, a movement accelerated by the mobilizations of the “yellow vests”.
at the local level, the calvary traders
Far from being limited to the paris region, the gloom due to the insufficient results of the balances affects the whole of the territory. At le Mans, the president of the association I like the trade of proximity, Philippe Guide, is cause for alarm in a situation “very complicated”: “the balances have been more than mixed, in particular for clothing”, he explains. All in all, the representative of the traders reported declines in turnover of the order of 20 to 30% “for the lucky”, and up to 50% for the other. The prefecture of the Sarthe if, however, considers herself lucky: compared to the other large French cities, its streets have been preserved images of violence in the margins of the protests and his activity has relatively little impact.
” READ ALSO – “yellow Vests”: fed up, traders appear “to sell”
in Bordeaux, the tone used by the president of the Round of the quarters, Christian Baulme, is actually much darker. Marked by a fall in sales of 30% to 50%, the shops of the “sleeping beauty” are écoeurés by the weeks of protests. “In December, the promotions have begun in advance to counteract the declines in activity. Then, we followed this with private sales then with the balances. In other words, we are in the promotion since mid-December!”, regrets Christian Baulme. According to him, the many images of “violence exceptional” in the streets of bordeaux have “scares everybody,” and balances have failed to “save” the stores: “More than half of the turnover of the week is done on Saturday, and more than 50% of the result of the Saturday between 15h and 18h, precisely at a time when violence is growing. Do the calculation, analysis, wry, the voice of 1200 shops in the city.
To “after the yellow vests”?
preparing to “after the yellow vests”, in the aftermath of balances daunting, the professionals promise to fight for the survival of the trade of proximity within town centres. The federations are discussing with various state actors, including Bercy, and are grateful for the support shown by the secretary of State Agnès Pannier-Runacher for several weeks: “for the first time, one has the impression of having a real minister of Trade and commerce,” says a representative. According to them, all solutions have to be put on the table, including the establishment of facilities to open on Sunday, an exemption – not a simple drop – in costs, new loans established by the BPI with low rates guaranteed, or even a renegotiation of bank loans with the approval of the credit institutions. “Without these aids, we will see traders dump their stock and sell their not-to-door, not immediately, but over the medium term, the next summer,” prophesies Christian Baulme.
To counter these estimates of ill-omen, however, two pre-requisites remain shared unanimously. On the one hand, the different actors, such as Urssaf, banks, ministères, federations and local public actors must be “all in this together to save local shops”. On the other hand, are all calling for the judgment of the people’s action on Saturday and a return to calm immediate. Not sure, however, that the “yellow vests” hear it of this ear.
SEE ALSO – yellow Vests: it stops when?
yellow Vests : it stops when ? – Look on Figaro Live
