According to a survey carried out by SDI (Unions of Independents and VSEs), the first two weeks of sales are very bad for a large majority of traders.
The survey conducted from January 17 to 24, 2022 among 572 traders by the SDI indicates that this beginning of the year is starting in bright red for an overwhelming majority of traders. At the end of two weeks of sales, 79 percent of them show a drop in turnover, mostly between 20 and 40 percent compared to the winter sales 2021, which had already experienced a negative balance due partially to their postponement. Bad news, especially since at the end of a second half of 2021 during which businesses did not see a dazzling recovery in their activity, the stocks of personal equipment professionals are at most high.
Is it the fault of the dislike of the French for the sales? Not necessarily, says the survey, which states that professionals were more likely this year to try to recover cash by practicing markdowns (93 percent against 79 usually). The main reason for this drop? For 76 percent of those questioned, the first thing to point out is the compulsory teleworking which empties the city centers of consumers. As announced by Prime Minister Jean Castex, this obligation put in place on January 3 will end on February 2, i.e. for almost the entire 2022 winter sales period.
Concerned professionals call for reinstatement of unsold stock aid
This first assessment therefore suggests, by 80 per cent of those questioned, that the stocks will not be sold by the end of the sales period. The few comments delivered in addition to the survey set the tone: “True fiasco and for good reason: pandemic, teleworking, economic activities on standby!”. This difficult and demotivating health context (both for employees and for holders) naturally worries professionals and makes them partially angry because of the direct or indirect obstacles to the full exercise of their activity.
Under these conditions, 76 percent of the professionals questioned consider it necessary to restore the aid for unsold stocks paid in 2021. To justify the essential nature of this measure, the professionals indicate that the abnormal drop in footfall in shops due to the he obligation to telework is akin to an industrial accident. As a reminder, the turnover achieved over the two sales periods represents 40 per cent of the annual turnover of the clothing sector. The conclusion of the survey is lapidary: “Local trade is the hole in the racket of support for the sectors impacted by the 5th Covid wave: if the public authorities have perfectly identified the consequences of the 5th Covid wave on certain activities (sector UNHCR, events with the recent aid to stands), their impact on local shops still needs to be filled!
–
