In France, businesses for the middle class are massively closed

On the door, a short message to customers: “We are turning the page… Thank you all for the love we have received during the 42 years we have spent together! Thank you for everything!”The fact is that the network of retailers selling San Marina women’s shoes, which had more financial difficulties, was liquidated. The relevant court ruling was handed down on Monday, after which 163 shops across the country ceased to exist and 680 vendors were on the streets. A middle-aged woman walks into the store, reads the ad, and sighs:- Here are those moments! Now there are discounts. I usually shop here. Inexpensive and of good quality.Let’s get acquainted. Isabelle, this is the name of the disappointed lady, says that at one time she wanted to work in one of the chain stores, but there were no vacancies. In the end, she found a place in the structure of the city administration.- It turns out that I was lucky that they refused me then, – said Isabelle. – Otherwise, she would now be unemployed and would have to register with the employment office.What is currently happening with clothing and shoe stores aimed at middle-income people is called “leaf fall shop” here. The Camaïeu company, considered unsinkable, was the first to sink this fall. The one that over the last decade has been recognized by the French as the best brand of women’s clothing. 500 points of sale went under the knife and 2,600 people found themselves out of work.It was followed by very popular mainstream brands such as Pimkie, Kookai. And, of course, the fall of the André company, whose shoes have been worn by many generations of French people, came as a shock to all somewhat wealthy citizens. The company, founded in 1896, ceased to exist in February, just a few years before its 125th anniversary. Then comes the Go Sport network of discount sportswear, which means the fate of dozens of stores and several thousand additional employees.In France, second-hand marketplaces have become very popular.So what explains this massive bankruptcy of once-thriving retail chains? The first blow was dealt to them by the pandemic, when in 2020-2021, stores that were not considered vital were placed under lock and key by the authorities. This was followed by an energy crisis and, consequently, a whole series of problems. The decline in purchasing power, the rise in food prices (in January, the price of milk rose by 22%, eggs – by 28%). All this hit the middle class, who had to give up their old habits, save on everything, and especially on clothes, being content with what they had bought before. Undoubtedly, new consumption patterns have played a role, when people have multiplied their purchases in online stores.But that’s not all. Under current conditions, exchange platforms for “second-hand” – second-hand clothes, especially among young people, have become very popular. According to the polling institute Babel, 57% of French people in this age group prefer new, second-hand clothes.