France

FRANCE: sales of specialized chains stagnate

RESEARCH findings published by trade federation Procos showed that, following poor performance in September, sales of specialized chains in France had stagnated during the first nine months of the year. Gains made by suburban stores were offset by declines recorded by high street stores. In September alone, the aggregate sales of specialized chains slumped by 7.5 per cent, as stores in city centres and suburban sites all suffered setbacks.

Esprit

As in many other European countries, lingerie sales by specialized chains in France account for a significant proportion of total consumption. Nevertheless, stable sales by specialized chains can be seen as a positive trend, since sales of all types of apparel by all distribution channels declined during the period.