Pierre Pelarrey, Managing Director of Printemps Haussmann, was the guest of Europe Matin on Sunday.

He estimated that the postponement of the sales from January 6 to 20, decided at the end of the week by the government, was "not good news" for the economy of shops and would have preferred to keep the dates.

INTERVIEW

Good or bad news about the postponement of sales?

At the weekend, the government decided to postpone the winter sales from January 6 to 20.

And faced with this decision, traders are divided: some federations validate, such as the Confederation of traders of France (CCF) and that of artisan traders of the metropolises of France (CAMF), but others deplore it, such as the Federation of Commerce cooperative and associate or the CNCC (the National Council of Shopping Centers).

For Pierre Pelarrey, Managing Director of Printemps Haussmann, it is certain: "this is not really good news", he said on Sunday at the microphone of Europe 1.

Duplicate with Valentine's Day

"This is not really good news. I believe that in these complicated times you have to make sales," began the director.

"To sell stocks, and generate sales to bring in cash. It is important for companies. The problem is also that this period postponed to January 20 will collide with another strong period in commercial activity, Valentine's Day ".

Not very strategic, therefore, for Pierre Pelarrey. 

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In addition, he recalled, "this sales period is the only period in which you have the right to sell below cost. So, that remains one of the highlights of consumption and we would have actually preferred that the dates be maintained ".

Positive trend in stores

Since the reopening of the stores, it would indeed seem that the trend is "positive", because "the number of items per customer is rather increasing", argued the Managing Director of Printemps Haussmann, with "a conversion rate , that is to say the number of customers who buy in relation to the number of visitors who come into the store, which is also up sharply ".

An effect after confinement, on which it might have been possible to "surf" in early January.