Will the purchasing power of the French at half-mast affect the annual trade festival? “Inevitably, there is fear,” acknowledges Hugo Larique, Commercial Director at CDiscount. However, France’s e-commerce number two is betting on November 25 to restore color, and buy large quantities very early to ensure low prices. Because after the golden age of confinement, the online sales site saw its turnover drop by 15% in the second half of 2022, affected by inflation. For now, searchs The Internet for Black Friday is the same as last year, ”reassures Hugo Larique. In normal times, the event allows CDiscount to quadruple or even five times the attendance in one day.
30% of French people think they don’t participate in Black Friday
But this year, a strange uncertainty hangs over online commerce. Since JanuaryThe E-Commerce and Distance Selling Association (Vivad) noted a sharp decline in online product sales: 17% over one year in the second quarter, and 2% in the third quarter, despite inflation that inflated the buyer’s basket. The year should end in the red, a first in a market that is always going strong. Vivad asserts that the fall is related to the return to normal after confinement and the closure of shops. But its managing director, Marc Louvier, warns that a return to growth is not guaranteed: “E-commerce is not immune from Purchasing power crisis“.
According to a survey by Harris Interactive for Fevad, 30% of French people plan not to participate in Black Friday, mainly due to tensions over purchasing power. “The end of state aid on fuela few days before November 25, this can be strengthened, ”notes Thomas Steinger, professor of management sciences, specialist in e-commerce at the Institute of Business Administration in Poitiers.
“The consumer’s hedonism is not in trend “
The second reason for hesitation, especially among the wealthier groups: the dangers of excessive consumption and waste, a sensitive topic in the midst of the energy and environmental crisis. “Consumerist hedonism is not in the mainstream. Minimalism is dominated by the concept of sobriety and sometimes some form of asceticism. Black Friday,” assures Nathan Stern, Director of Studies at Altavia Shoppermind.
To attract the spotlight, the former star ebay She refuses to side with France to balance her articles on Friday, and reaches out, maliciously, about her notable absence. “Black Friday represents excess consumption. We hope to show that there are alternatives,” explains Sarah Tayeb, Sales Director. The whole sector is in full swing, notes Jean-Marc Magnin, General Manager of Altavia Shoppermind: “This year, distributor communications investments have been revised downwards. Exceptional performance.”
Read alsoAgainst the excesses of Black Friday, more and more brands are sticking to Green Friday
Fnac-Darty wants to believe in a ‘very dynamic’ Black Friday
However, in times of inflation, Black Friday may be an opportunity for some French to part with a simple click, while the Internet remains, in the collective imagination, a place for good deals. “We’ve been working with our teams to have deals for all budgets. People are looking for good deals and we’re going to have a very dynamic Black Friday,” encourages Julien Perfetti, Fnac-Darty Group Commercial Director. The share of online sales is certainly declining within the group, but Fnac-Darty has nearly 800 stores to offset the trend. An opportunity that, in this uncertain period, many e-commerce merchants do not have.
So, will the purchasing power crisis dampen or invigorate Black Friday? Thomas Stinger replies: “We will have both directions. In times of crisis, there is a development of e-commerce, because consumers are convinced that the lowest prices are found on the Internet, and on the other hand, a part of the population that no longer has access to pleasure purchases. It remains to be seen which trend will be the strongest. The stakes are high: according to Vivad, year-end accounts for more than 25% of e-commerce merchants’ turnover.