With border closures due to coronavirus, cross-border smokers - who used to buy their tobacco in Belgium, Spain and Italy in particular, where prices are cheaper - are on their way to tobacco shops tricolor.
Result? Tobacco sales in France, via the tobacconists network, increased by around 30%. An increase which is almost perfectly superimposed on what tobacconists call a "parallel market". "We found the lost customers," insists Philippe Coy, president of the National Confederation of tobacconists. In certain cross-border departments, members of our network send up the figures for tobacco consumption multiplied by three, some by ten! "
Does this increase also include smokers whose consumption has increased due to the coronavirus epidemic? “A priori no, we assure the Confederation of tobacconists. Regular smokers do not smoke more than before. On the other hand, cross-border smokers forced to get their supplies in France discover ... French prices, with a lot of surprise! Paying 10 € for a package that they are used to finding at 5 €, this gets some customers out of their hinges ”. In Dunkirk (North) for example, from where Belgium is only a few kilometers away, consumers have even had violent reactions.
New tobacco consumption mapping
Sales are growing, therefore, and at the same time, the ranking of the most dynamic tobacco shops has changed. In Île-de-France, today, almost one out of two tobacco shops is closed. But others in the region are leading points of sale, "where some of the residents of Ile-de-France have found refuge during the period of confinement," observes the Confederation. For example, in "the department of Yonne, which has seen all of its second homes open, reports Philippe Coy, and generally along the Atlantic Arc".
Is there a risk regarding supply, while in Italy, the slowdown of the economy has put an end to the production of certain tobacco products? The main factories supplying France are located in Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. They continue to run for the moment. "No worries at this stage, indicate the tobacconists, moreover we have stocks. But we are monitoring the situation closely. "
In total, “85% of the national network remained open, most of the time with adaptations of schedules, welcomed the president of the Confederation of tobacconists. We are one of the priority businesses because we are not only tobacco sellers: we also offer the press, banking or administrative services such as paying taxes or certain invoices. In short, we are also the social link ”… Social, but in strict compliance with confinement and sanitary measures, while many members of our network“ are still waiting for protective equipment ”, sighs Philippe Coy.
