Noa Moussa, edited by Gauthier Delomez
modified to
06:39, February 19, 2023
The health crisis and the rise of e-commerce (+16% in one year) have not been fatal to shopping centers. Their attendance increases by 18.4% between 2021 and 2022, which represents 400 million more people out of the 2.5 billion in all the centers of the country. Europe 1 took the pulse of one of them, in Paris.
Nada is 27 years old and, for her, it is unthinkable to spend a day without going to her favorite shopping center in Paris. “Coming home from work, it’s on my way so it’s more convenient,” she explains, her shopping bags in hand. “I go there to buy what I’m missing and sometimes just to look at new items. I have the article directly, I can try on and be sure of the size, it’s easier.”
Simplicity that pays off, following the health crisis and in a context of the rise of e-commerce (+16% in one year): the number of visits to shopping centers jumped by 18.4% between 2021 and 2022. This represents 400 million additional people out of the 2.5 billion in all the centers of the country.
“I see that there are many more people”
At 32, Bryan is one of those people, and he goes there once a week. He finds deals there that he can’t find online. “E-commerce, we have so many choices that we don’t even really know what we’re looking for anymore. Me, I really prefer to walk around in physics and look at what catches my eye,” he says, sweeping the center trader’s gaze. “I really prefer going to the store, I think it’s more pleasant.”
There are more and more customers in shopping malls. Oprah, a saleswoman in a ready-to-wear store, sees this increase in her store. “It’s true that since I arrived, I see that there are a lot more people. They walk around a lot less than before, it’s true that they come for a specific purpose. They see that we have a lot of choice in terms of articles, so I think it attracts them a lot more. People come, people are there,” she remarks.
Industry professionals are confident. According to them, footfall in shopping centers should increase by another 5 to 10% in the coming months.
