25 départements, mainly in eastern and south-eastern France, are now affected by a curfew brought forward to 6 pm. A new constraint for retailers, after 100 days of administrative closure of non-food businesses in 2020. What are the impacts and consequences?
An almost 30% drop in visitor numbers
The 6 p.m. curfew has an impact on all businesses, whether food or non-food, located in the city center or on the outskirts.
In the fashion sector, 20% of daily sales usually take place after 6 p.m., the time when people leave the office. In supermarkets and hypermarkets, 30% of food purchases are usually made between 5 and 8 pm. However, for consumers to be home by 6 p.m., most of them have to leave the stores at 5 p.m.
In the north-east of the country, where 15 départements saw the curfew brought forward to 6 p.m. on January 2, footfall fell by 27% according to the Conseil national des centers commerciaux, compared with 20% in the rest of the country, with the exception of the Île-de-France region. However, the loss recorded by food stores was offset by an increase in sales linked to teleworking and restaurant closures.
New consumer habits
If food stores are holding up better, it's also because consumers have changed their habits and are doing more of their shopping at lunchtime or in the afternoon, at least for those who telecommute. Those who still work face-to-face tend to postpone their shopping trips until the weekend, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Supermarkets are also trying to adapt: many open their doors earlier to take advantage of longer opening hours, as early as 6 a.m. for Casino supermarkets, and some chains are even distributing vouchers for the earliest shoppers. In the evening, delivery times have sometimes been extended to 10 pm.
In clothing stores, on the other hand, consumption practices don't follow the same trend. Buying clothes generally takes longer, and lunch breaks are not really a good time. What's more, purchases are generally less essential, or at least less urgent, which necessarily impacts on sales.
The only solution in this case is to stagger opening days, as called for by specialist store unions, with Sunday opening throughout the country.