First shifted, then extended by two weeks, the winter sales ended on Tuesday and deliver a very mixed record, depending on the sectors and types of stores.

For most sellers, the operation was not very successful: the Alliance du Commerce noted a drop in turnover of 22% in February. 

It is a period of unprecedented sales that ended on Tuesday, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was first postponed, with a launch on January 20, then extended by two weeks after the closure of shopping centers of more than 20,000 m2, on January 31.

For what result?

A very mixed picture, depending on the sector or the type of store, but which is clearly not good for a large majority of traders.

In February, turnover fell 22% according to the Alliance du Commerce. 

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Not the period of "pleasure buying"

The positive will quickly be evacuated: the only satisfaction concerns certain downtown businesses which were able to benefit from a postponement of consumers from the end of January.

According to the Alliance du Commerce, which brings together 27,000 stores (including department stores, clothing and footwear brands), it was clearly not the period of "shopping for pleasure".

"We observed a drop in attendance of around 46% in February, so it's extremely important," said its Managing Director, Yohann Petiot.

According to the professional, this "confirms the transition from an act of impulse buying to a planned purchase, prepared by customers".

A trend confirmed by the Procos, the Federation of specialized trade, which represents more than 300 brands and 60,000 points of sale.

The sectors most affected were textiles, jewelry and sports.

Sport struggles

With activity down by nearly 10% over this period of sales compared to last year, sports shops have indeed taken full force "the curfew effect", believes Virgile Caillet, general delegate of the Union Sport et Cycle: "It is a real disappointment, the sector is extremely affected and impatiently awaits a rebound".

However, the closure of sports halls and the end of indoor sports such as handball and basketball do not encourage optimism.

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The mountain sector is logically one of the most affected, many orders have been canceled by businesses and manufacturers find themselves with very large stocks. 

Targeted aid and a reopening schedule

Faced with this gloomy record, the Alliance du Commerce, among others, is asking the government for visibility for the 25,000 businesses still closed.

Yohann Petiot thus pleads for the establishment of a period of 15 days of liquidation, to dispose of unsold stocks.

The general delegate of the Alliance du Commerce also expects a rapid realization of the targeted aid promised by the government to stores closed since January 31.

The situation may be unblocked this week: to help traders with very high stocks on their hands, Alain Griset, Minister for SMEs, indicated on Tuesday that a reflection on how to compensate for unsold items was underway.