Demand and consumption remained strong in several sectors.
Some activities are successful, others are taking advantage of the crisis.
Now is the time to get started, without worry.
To discover
OUR SIMULATOR - Are you getting paid well?
1 - Always more convenience stores
Whether under the Carrefour, Vival, Monoprix, Spar or Franprix brand, these “essential” stores have had the chance to remain open and continue their activity.
“Proximity formats are working well.
Consumers are more likely to return to shop near their homes ”
, indicates Jean-Baptiste Gouache, lawyer in franchise law.
As a result, sector networks are recruiting.
The Carrefour Proximité group thus intends to open, by 2022, 250 points of sale under one of its brands (Carrefour Contact, Carrefour City, Carrefour Express, etc.).
Casino proximités, for its part, is counting on the deployment of more than 200 stores in 2021, notably under the Vival brand.
Note, precisely, in this niche, the rise of rural convenience stores whose turnover increased by 15.5% according to the research firm Nielsen.
All the actors seek to extend their network at the local level.
Conclusion: a profitable sector that will always meet a primary need.
2 - Organic food still on the rise
The interest of the French for organic is not denied: in 2020, the consumption of organic fruits and vegetables jumped in volume by 5% against 1% in 2019, according to Interfel.
Biocoop, L'Eau Vive, Naturalia, La Vie Claire, Bio c 'Bon (acquired by Carrefour at the end of 2020)… All have benefited from this enthusiasm.
"We recorded 20% growth in turnover, and saw the arrival of new customers in our stores,"
says Frédéric Guyot, Chairman of the Board of La Vie Claire.
The brand opened 23 points of sale in 2020 and intends to maintain this pace in 2021. Flourishing, the market is also attracting new players with concepts in short circuits.
This is the case, for example, with networks such as Lepanierpaysan.com, Le Grand Panier Bio, Les Comptoirs de la bio or So.bio.
3 - Many trends in fast food
With some 230 brands and 6,800 franchisees, fast food is a historic heavyweight in franchising.
Despite a complicated year, it continues its momentum, helped by delivery, “click and collect” and take-out services which have saved part of the activity.
“There was a 64% increase in restaurant
owners'
registrations on Uber in the first part of 2020,”
notes Jean-Paul Zeitline, founder of Progressium.
In this market, the trends are towards eating well, with more and more networks offering “healthy” (Dubble, Green is better, Jour…), premium burger (231 East St, Bioburger, King Marcel…) or exotic (Pitaya, Pokawa, PoutineBros…).
Be careful, however, the concepts are sometimes very numerous to share the same cake: there are a good fifteen brands on the only niche of burgers.
Vigilance must focus on the franchisor's ability to differentiate and innovate.
4 - furniture, decoration: the French take care of their house
Teleworking, travel bans… These measures have benefited the home market.
Whether they are kitchen designers (Aviva, SoCoo'c, Ixina ...), piscinists (Irrijardin, Desjoyaux, Aquilus, Piscinelle ...), furniture sellers (Gautier, Quadro, BoConcept ...), verandas builders (Vie & Véranda, Renoval, Concept Alu…) or renovators in the broad sense (Tryba, Attila, Preservation of heritage…), all have benefited from the cocooning effect of the French.
“Everything related to“ stay at home ”has exploded.
We have seen this with a 10% to 20% increase in franchise contract signatures in this sector, ”
says Jean-Paul Zeitline.
And this is just the start because according to research firm Xerfi Precepta, the market is expected to grow by more than 9% in 2021.
5 - You have to cultivate your garden
In the same vein as the layout of the house, the maintenance of the garden is going wonderfully.
Garden centers - Botanic, Truffaut, Jardiland, Gamm vert - are surfing a market that should reach 8 billion euros next year, according to Xerfi.
However, the entry ticket is often high (on average 1 million euros) because the stores, located in the suburbs or in the city center, occupy large sales areas.
In the summer of 2020, for example, Truffaut opened a garden center with a surface area of 1,200 m² in the heart of Paris.
6 - IT in the age of teleworking
Behind the juggernaut Fnac-Darty, in franchise for about five years, a few players share the sector such as Bureau Vallée, Cartridge World, Hyperburo or LDLC.
Taken by storm at the first confinement by teleworkers, the market started again with more stable volumes, but just as promising.
"We are sellers of computer equipment - which allowed us to experience 50% growth in 2020 - but also repairers, which ensures a constant market"
, analyzes Harry de Lépine, director of distribution at LDLC, who counts open ten stores in 2021.
7 - The freewheel bike
The signs can be counted here on the fingers of one hand.
You might as well take advantage of it because the market, driven by the State's cycling plan (increase in cycle paths, subsidy for the purchase of an electric bike or a cargo bike, etc.), will increase (+ 9% in value per year by 2023, according to Xerfi).
"This is a very good vein because soft mobility is developing and demand is growing,"
explains Laurent Delafontaine, from the franchise consulting firm Ax Réseaux.
Among the players in the sector: Culture Vélo, Vélo Station, Citibike (electrically assisted bicycles) or Cyclable.
All are developing.
Cyclable, which has 55 stores, is looking for franchisees in 22 catchment areas, for example.
8 - Taking care of the elderly
If there is one dynamic sector, it is aid for the elderly.
He proved it during the health crisis (carrying meals, shopping, human aid…) but the future leaves him mathematically hoping for good days.
Those over 85 staying at home will in fact drop from 2.3 million today to 4.8 million in 2050. And family carers will be less and less numerous.
All the indicators are therefore green.
O2 Care Services opened 32 branches in 2020 and, thanks to the rebound in senior activity, ended the year with a 5.1% increase in turnover compared to 2019. Same success for Grandson, the specialist in helping the elderly.
"We plan to double the number of our agencies by 2025 to reach 300 points of sale, and to set up in intermediate-sized cities where the need is high"
, announces Olivier Lebouché, president of the network.
9 - home health
As a corollary of assistance to seniors, this sector is also in good shape.
Whether it is to facilitate the continuity of care between hospital and home or to provide medical equipment or associated services (infusion for example), the few networks in this market - StudioSanté (home medical assistance ), Distri Club Médical or Bastide Le Confort Médical (sale and rental of equipment) - performance.
Bastide (70 units), for example, posted growth of + 23.4% in the first quarter of fiscal year 2020-2021.
10 - Ever more responsible consumption
The consumption of the French is more and more responsible and civic.
In response, a green wave is sweeping through many areas.
Thus, brands without packaging (Day by Day, Mademoiselle Vrac, Écomiam), eco-friendly dry cleaners (Aqualogia, Baleo, Sequoia pressing), waterless car washing (Astikoto, Ecolave, Cosméticar), energy brokers (Place des energies, JPME)… Even the largest networks are getting started.
In 2019, Yves Rocher was the first franchise brand to obtain the status of a company with a mission.
What to give ideas!
Matthieu and Antoine Thimonier (La Vie CLaire): "Organic has imposed itself!"
Like a family resemblance!
Matthieu and Antoine Thimonier are not only twins but also La Vie Claire franchisees since the end of 2018. “We wanted to jointly launch a food business in our town, in Tarare (Rhône).
Organic has imposed itself, its virtuous and responsible character corresponds to our values ”, says Matthieu Thimonier, 35 years old.
The two brothers inquired about several franchisors and made their choice on La Vie Claire, whose head office is located a stone's throw from their home.
“The brand gave us a certain freedom in our supplies, especially from local producers.
This has finally convinced us. "
They opened their 400 m2 store in October 2018 on a passing axis.
Very quickly, customers flocked: 120 to 130 per day and the point of sale shows growth of 4 to 5% in the first year.
“It was in line with our forecasts, and it has remained so over the months.
After a surge in April 2020, due to confinement, we have since regained a cruising rate of around 6 to 8%. ”
Based on these results, they opened a second store in Amplepuis (Rhône) in December 2020.