The French Fédération des Acteurs du Commerce dans les Territoires (FACT), comprising over 300 real estate specialists dedicated to promoting various forms of commerce and supporting ecological transition, has unveiled its 2023 report, highlighting a significant uptick in foot traffic across commercial sites.
City centres experienced a notable 11.2% surge in footfall, with regions like Nouvelle Aquitaine (+14.4%), Hauts de France (+14.3%), and Occitanie (+13%) leading the pack in performance. Out-of-town shopping areas saw an average footfall growth of +5.7%, while shopping malls, despite a remarkable 18.4% increase between 2021 and 2022, recorded a modest 1.9% rise in foot traffic in 2023, with a 4% increase noted in Île-de-France.
Photo © T.w. Van Urk | Dreamstime.com
Diverse trends in consumer spending
The year 2023 also witnessed a mixed bag of consumer spending trends, with a 2.2% rise in value but a 1.9% decrease in volume compared to 2022. Notably, household equipment saw a 5.3% dip, personal equipment dropped by 0.6%, while dining surged by 9.4%, services by 15.1%, beauty/health by 3.5%, and food by 2.5%.
These trends underscore a dynamic since 2019, with a 15% increase in consumer spending in commerce, 16% growth in dining volume, 15% uptick in "culture/gifts/leisure," and an 11% rise in beauty/health spending. However, there was a 6% decline in value for personal equipment.
With an average €2000 increase in household spending from 2019 to 2023, shopping malls saw a 3.3% boost in turnover in 2023, coupled with a 2.2% rise in consumer spending. This growth was particularly notable in cultural and leisure products (+21.9%), sports articles (+8.8%), dining (+5.8%), and optics (+5.5%).
More information:
Fédération des Acteurs du Commerce dans les Territoires
www.lesacteursducommerce.com