Despite ongoing economic challenges and reduced consumer spending, French shopping centres and commercial areas have shown growth in both traffic and turnover in 2024, according to the Federation of Trade Actors in the Territories (FACT).
FACT reported a 1.1% increase in footfall across shopping centres, with city centre sites rising by 3.7%, and larger urban areas (over 100,000 inhabitants) seeing growth of 10.8%. City centre commercial zones recorded a notable increase of 7.8%, while outlying areas grew by 2.3%. These results came despite a dip in December traffic, attributed to an "unfavourable calendar effect" of -2.9%.
FACT highlighted the success of Black Friday as evidence of "omnichannel commerce," noting that Saturday 30 November 2024 became the third-busiest shopping day of the year, with over 13 million visitors to shopping centres.
Turnover in shopping centres outpaced overall retail consumption, rising by 1.3% compared to a 1.1% increase in household spending. The "beauty/health" sector led growth with a 6.7% increase, followed by the entertainment sector. Personal equipment sales stabilised at -1.2%, an improvement from previous years.
FACT also underlined progress in its "Commercial Zone Transformation Plan" (PTZC), launched in 2023, with 89 projects selected for redevelopment. These initiatives aim to revitalise commercial zones and promote mixed-use development.
FACT president Marie Cheval stated that commercial sites are "much more than places to shop", contributing to regional dynamism and social cohesion. General delegate Christophe Noël called on the government to ease regulatory pressures and support business through incentive-driven public policy. FACT is now awaiting the outcome of legislation aimed at simplifying economic activity.
Source: www.meuble-info.fr