Our readers tell why they go back to shopping… or not

• As soon as the stores reopened after two months of confinement, some stores were taken over by customers.
• Some go there for pleasure or need. And others clearly don't want to go back there right away.
• According to Philippe Moati, founder of the Society and Consumption Observatory (Obsoco), if a bulimia of consumption can intervene at the end of confinement, the trend towards better quality consumption could begin after the crisis.

"Quick shopping, it was time!" Like our reader Morgane, many French people rushed to the shops on Monday morning. After eight weeks of closure due to confinement, non-essential businesses can now reopen.

These two months without window shopping, without trying on a pair of shoes, without comparing the latest smartphones or simply strolling through the stalls were endless for some. But others still prefer to wait. And  20 Minutes asked its readers which category they belong to.

It's good for morale

"After two months, I thought shopping would cheer me up to change the confinement routine that depressed me," writes Nora. Like her, many internet users have expressed this desire, as the symbol of a newfound freedom. Especially for those who have teleworked, like Louisa, who declares that she has only gone out four times to do food shopping: "I really want to have fun with clothes or shoes, it is my reward for being wise during confinement. "Philippe Moati, founder of the Society and Consumption Observatory (Obsoco), explains this behavior to us:" Shopping is a bit of lightness. It is not surprising that it appears in the priorities for some. We can witness a “bulimia” of consumption. "

56 meters in line at 2:35 p.m. in front of Fnac saint lazare (56 people x 1 meter) ... #distanciation #calculsimple # deconfinementjour1 pic.twitter.com/OFOvT9mt4i

Despite health protocols in stores to limit the risk of contagion, Sarah wanted to shop for a normal life: “The shops are well cleaned, tidy. There is hydroalcoholic gel and clients wear a mask. I felt safe. "While a large number of our readers say they have not hesitated to order on the Internet to remedy the containment, Faustine prefers to return to the store:" Shopping is good for morale, there is a whole dramatization of the product that not found online. "

Others go there, but because they are forced to, like young parents. This is the case of Carolyne: "Having had a baby during confinement, I really need to go buy him some clothes, it grows quickly. And it's not just the babies who have changed in size since March 16. Benoît, a little ashamed, is one of those who could not avoid gaining weight during this period: “I had to go back to work, but I took my day to go and buy shirts. Going to work sausage is out of the question. "

Support for small businesses

Others insist on their desire to go to small shops. First reason given, security. They benefit from a better image than the big brands, as Nathalie puts it: “The self-employed respect measures better. You don't find fifty people in a shop. This also allows him to avoid queuing, as we have seen on some social networks.

Claire, who calls herself "very spendthrift", has chosen her favorite little boutique in Le Havre: "Some will criticize, but at least I help the independents. A reason often mentioned in testimonies.

"Shopping will wait"

If they also want to help small merchants, the majority of our readers do not want to go back to shopping immediately. “I have no desire to find myself in an enclosed space with potentially contaminated people. Shopping will wait a few weeks, ”says Nathalie. Sandrine, who went out on Tuesday to buy food for her animals, criticizes the excitement from the time of deconfinement: “The shopping area was saturated, the parking lots full, people without masks were pushing shopping carts with three plants inside. This is not reasonnable. This frenzy is one of the most cited reasons. This is the case of Alexis, who wonders: "I do not understand the people who are crowding, with hours of waiting for some. Like him, Karine confides her concern: "Shopping is a pleasure for me. There, given the context, the constraints and the risks, it will be without me. "

Philippe Moati tries to explain this influx in stores: “Consumption is like a drug, it is a conditioned reflex, an impulse. Especially since we already had a promotional run-up before the confinement and it won't work out afterwards. "

"Until it is mastered ..."

If consumption can thus be assimilated to a drug, some of our readers try to wean themselves off. First of all through fear, which keeps coming back in the comments, as for Natacha: “This virus scares us, for us and for our children. As long as it is not under control, there is no question of returning to the store. "A second wave is still possible for Gaël, who wants to remind everyone that the risk is high and that" the nursing staff always works despite fatigue. "

For many, the question of returning to the store is not limited to the current health crisis. Régine Vanheems, associate professor and specialist in distribution, explains: “Certain consumption trends that appeared before the coronavirus, such as consuming differently, better, more locally, could come out stronger. Confinement has caused many of our readers to reflect on this point. “It may be time to think twice before a purchase. Because this confinement allows us to realize what we really need, ”writes Malika. Mélanie abounds: “During this period, we learned to live just with the necessary, without the superfluous. "For Frédérique, this long" hibernation "was a trigger:" I realized that I only needed a few things to feel good. My future purchases will be focused on the essentials. "A trend that Romain wants to see as beneficial for the planet:" The confinement was a break for nature, it would be good that we do not start again as before and that we come back to simpler things to continue in this direction , and there is no better time to stop overconsumption and the pollution that comes with it. "

Philippe Moati's analysis could give Romain some hope: “At first, it is the constraint of money - an economic crisis, loss of income - which will suddenly impose itself. But the crisis has fueled a general reflection and a real aspiration to consume quality, whether at environmental or societal level. Everything will depend on the strength and the length of the turbulence. "

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• Trade
• Deconfinement
• Confinement
• Covid 19
• Coronavirus
• Consumption
• Economy
• Shopping