Traders are busy for the reopening

Impatient but cautious.

“

Non-essential

”

stores and departments

are preparing to reopen on May 19.

Unless the calendar changes depending on sanitary conditions, this date gives traders a

welcome

"

visibility

", which is in line with their demand: "to

reopen at the same time for all shops regardless of their size or location. 'implantation

', recalled several trade federations, in a press release sent on April 30.

If the restart is easier than for bars and restaurants closed for seven months, two weeks before the scheduled curtain raiser, some preparations are needed.

For small businesses, closed since April 3, two or three days will be enough to clean and redo the window.

Trader of a ready-to-wear boutique in the city center of Laval (Pays-de-la-Loire), Marie-Bernard looks forward to welcoming her customers.

For her, no stock management problem: “

I had already received my collection of summer clothes which is in place

”.

“We have sweaters that we don't know what to do with and that will be a bit difficult to sell at the end of May.

"

Sophie, manager of a clothing store in Lille.

In Lille, on the other hand, where non-essential businesses closed in mid-March, preparation takes longer. “

When we closed in March, we had the preseason collection, with sweaters that we don't know what to do with and that will be a little difficult to sell at the end of May,

” slips Sophie, manager of a women's clothing store in the Vieux-Lille, which is already working to redo its entire store with the summer collection ordered before and received during confinement.

In the stores of shopping centers and department stores of more than 20,000 m2, closed since January 31, things are also happening.

Cleaning, tidying up ... “

The traders are impatiently preparing to receive customers.

Inventory levels are variable.

In textiles especially, some will end up with large stocks.

We expect disparate situations

, ”explains Vincent Ravat, CEO of Mercialys.

The sales period under debate

How to prevent certain traders from ending up with large stocks of goods on their hands? For the moment, the date of the sales, a promotional operation which allows traders to empty their stocks, is set for June 23. A promotional operation expected by the brands, especially in the textile sector where the question of surplus arises. "

It will be necessary to be able to manage destocking

", warns Emmanuel Le Roch, general delegate of the Federation of specialized trade Procos.

For its part, the Confederation of Traders, does not want the sales to arrive too early.

“

We must not reopen on early balances.

It would be an economic disaster.

We must make consumers want to make their purchases in physical stores, by encouraging them otherwise,

”said Francis Palombi, president of the Confederation of French traders, which represents independent retail businesses.

The government warned that a decision would be taken on the date and duration of the summer sales "

within fifteen days

".

Read also: Summer sales: the government will make a decision within 15 days, according to Alain Griset

Maintaining aid

One way or another, traders, large and small, independent, or franchisee, scalded by sequenced closures, are counting on the government to ensure that economic support measures are extended during this period of recovery. “

All of these traders need cash. Of course there is state aid. We will be vigilant on the fact that they are there, proportional to the reopening at mid-month, with a gradual end of the support

”, declares William Koeberlé president of the Council of Commerce of France (CdCF), association of 30 large federations of tradespeople.

However, traders have confidence that consumers should be there. "

There will surely be fewer customers who will come to stroll, but they will buy,

" anticipates Emmanuel Le Roch. Even cut by half, (and without the Ascension weekend), the month of May remains an important month for the activity of businesses. It represents up to 20% of the activity of certain sectors. “

It's a good period for purchasing textiles and shoes,”

underlines the general delegate of Procos.

Mother's Day is coming. Jewelry and perfume stores should work well.

"