Sales across specialist retail sectors saw a modest increase in May 2025, according to the latest report from Procos (Federation for the Promotion of Specialised Commerce). However, the growth—2.2% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis—should be viewed with caution, as it is significantly affected by calendar anomalies and a politically uncertain climate.
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The data, published on 11 June, highlights the complexity of the current retail landscape. While a surface-level rise in sales might suggest positive momentum, Procos cautions against overinterpretation. 'This monthly result must be put into perspective, because the activity of this fifth month of the year was very impacted by the number of public holidays and significant calendar effects (one more Saturday in May 2025 compared to May 2024), which makes the figures difficult to compare with those of 2024,' the federation stated.
A striking example is the clothing sector, where sales appeared to increase by 6.1% in May. However, once adjusted for calendar differences, the actual figure shows a slight decrease of 0.4%. 'For clothing brands, the change in sales is +6.1% over the month, but this is negative (at -0.4%) when corrected for calendar effects,' Procos noted.
Other sectors also saw varied outcomes. Without calendar correction, the culture/gifts/toys category rose by 3.1%, speciality food increased by 0.5%, and beauty/perfume by 1.8%. Home equipment posted a marginal gain of 0.5%, though segments such as furniture experienced a notable downturn of -2%. In contrast, sports followed the positive trend seen in clothing, rising 7.1%.
However, not all areas experienced growth. Restaurants reported a 2.7% drop in sales compared to May 2024, indicating ongoing consumer caution in discretionary spending, particularly in out-of-home consumption.
Foot traffic in physical retail locations remained nearly flat, dipping slightly by 0.1% compared to May 2024, as revealed by the Procos/Stackr Observatory of store traffic. Meanwhile, online sales continued to expand, with specialist retailers recording a 2.8% year-on-year rise in web sales for the month.
The broader outlook from January to May 2025 paints a picture of slow but steady movement. Across all sectors, cumulative in-store sales activity for specialist retailers is up 1.9% compared to the same period last year.
Despite the small uptick in sales, the retail environment remains challenging. 'The period remains complicated for both consumers and retailers, somewhat suspended in an uncertain political environment,' the report underlines.
While the figures suggest cautious optimism, sector leaders are advised to remain vigilant. The combined pressures of erratic consumer behaviour, fragile confidence, and political ambiguity continue to cast a long shadow over retail recovery efforts in France.
Source: www.meuble-info.fr