-30% or -40%, loyalty discount, discount on the second purchase… In recent weeks, and even in recent days, promotions have tried to attract the attention of the consumer. Unusually numerous offers at this time of year, when it is not normally necessary to seduce the customer with discounts, while they are busy buying their Christmas presents.
All the more unusual as they refer to sectors that are nonetheless very dynamic during the end-of-year celebrations, such as clothing or perfumery, and which follow “Black Friday” at the end of November. For both physical and e-commerce, Christmas is the key time of the year, when consumers pay less attention to spending.
Soccer World Cup
A consequence… of the Soccer World Cup? By staying home in the afternoon to watch the games in Qatar, customers were fewer in the shops. The event “disadvantaged trade”, underlines Yohann Petiot, general director of the Trade Alliance. These promotions are probably trying to “jump-start arrival at the store,” he imagines.
Because we could also see it as a result of a bad autumn for commerce, adds Yohann Petiot, who represents department stores and major clothing brands. The hot month of October was affected by the weather – customers were not in the mood for winter shopping – and the month of November was below expectations, despite Black Friday.
Concern from independents
On the side of independent traders, the explanation is different. Head of the Ile-de-France section of the National Federation of Clothing (FNH), Patrick Aboukrat regrets the increase in promotions by major brands throughout the year, and not just at Christmas. Private sales, Black Friday, Cyber Monday or even French Days are now added to the classic sales.
As the Christmas holidays approach, “these promotions kill the commercial effervescence” and independent retailers cannot keep up with the big brands, laments the head of the Abou de Abi Bazar stores in Paris. What he is already worried about are the upcoming winter sales. The starting gun will be given on January 11, 2023, three weeks after Christmas… and seven weeks after Black Friday.
Source: BFM TV
