Last Saturday, a new record for credit card purchases was set with the start of Christmas shopping. What can we conclude from that? Are the French consuming more? Will they be giving more gifts? A quick tour around the shops in the center of Nice, and the merchants are unanimous: they are not selling more. It is only the percentage of purchases made by credit cards that has increased—between 70% and 80%, according to the stores and sellers’ estimates.
Last Saturday was a good Saturday but not exceptional. “We had people, more than usual and more than on ordinary Saturdays. But we expect more this coming weekend and the week of the holidays,” explains Fred, manager of the Oxbow shop at Nicetoile.
He expresses a regret: “We were open on Sunday. But no communication was made about this opening. As a result, the turnout was very average, like a weekday. Next weekend, customers might come on both days.” Late Wednesday afternoon, there were few rushes in the stores. Three stand out: Micromania, Virgin, and Fnac. They are populated by teenagers. Are they buying their holiday gifts? Not all of them. “Wednesday is our traditional walk. We browse the shelves. We check out things. We listen to CDs. And clearly, it’s a girls’ hobby. We show off, chat with friends, and also make new acquaintances. I haven’t yet thought about what I’m going to buy for Christmas. I’ll go with the flow,” says Jessica, 16, in front of the “new releases” DVD shelf at Virgin, accompanied by her friends Nadia and Kelly.
In the heart of Old Nice, around 5 p.m., rue de la Boucherie is deserted. Just a few people. Customers? No. Just the merchants who are desperately waiting. They talk among themselves, especially about the current economic situation. Such is the case with David and Nicolas. David sells ready-to-wear, Nicolas sells ceramics. Disenchanted, almost bitter, they try to explain the disaffection for their shops. “Yes, indeed we had people on Saturday. But it was not exceptional. Since the beginning of the week, I haven’t sold anything. It’s getting worse year by year. The French have less money. They spend less. And we raise our prices since the wholesalers took advantage of the Euro to increase their sale prices,” argues David. Nicolas notes that “the Italians come less. They are targeted by pickpockets. They no longer feel safe in our streets.”
Marilyse, a young saleswoman in a fantasy products store, is less vehement than her elders but she too admits that it’s very quiet even though Saturday was a good day. Her neighbor Adel, a salesperson at “Chez Tom et Léa”, a children’s fashion accessories store, tries an explanation: “Saturday, the Italians were on vacation so they came to Nice, and not necessarily for Christmas shopping. The French might be waiting for the school holidays which start a week before the holidays this year.” We will have to wait until December 26 to see if Adel’s predictions are accurate. Let’s hope so for all the merchants of rue de la Boucherie.
Vincent Trinquat
