In the streets of the capital, there is no longer any doubt: the recovery is here.
With the end of teleworking, employees are returning to their habits and sit down for a quick snack or lunch with colleagues, on the terraces of cafes and restaurants.
Shirts, suits or suits are making a big comeback in the Parisian landscape.
"
It's the return of white collar workers
" comments, mockingly, a restaurateur from the Opera district interviewed by Le
Figaro
.
To read alsoAfter the revolution of teleworking, the "telerentry"
After many months of atrophied activity, gauges and confinements, restaurateurs seem to regain hope of a return to normal and note with amusement the long-awaited signals of the recovery.
At 231 East Street Opéra, a burger restaurant, “
the regulars are coming back
”.
"
60% of them were teleworking so far but they have started to come back since last week
" confides the manager.
“
They need to get back to their ways, they are a little lost in front of the menu,
” she laughs.
The face-to-face brings hope
At Starbucks des Capucines, it's also the big comeback of “
morning coffee
” for customers who return to the office more systematically. According to the manager, the activity has "
returned to normal for three weeks
". The turnover for the month of August 2021 is even higher than that of August 2019. “
The office clientele, even foreign, is there
” affirms the café. In another restaurant in the 9th arrondissement, “
the return boom
” has been observed since September 1, even if teleworking still gives rise to “a
little apprehension
”.
Makeup stores are also hoping to do well. “
With the return of life in the city and at work, women want to take care of themselves. The children have returned to school, the tan is fading: it's time to come back,
”urges a store manager. "
The clients are also back on their lunch break: we see the tailors again
" he sums up with a smile. The sector had suffered from the democratization of teleworking but the recovery is beginning, according to Mathilde Lion, analyst of the European beauty market at NPD Group. “
In the months of June / July / August, we are only -3% compared to 2019
»She indicates. Some segments are benefiting from the recovery more than others: sales of eye makeup rose 5% in August compared to last year. The return to the office is not done without a mask, and mascaras and eyeliners are therefore at the center of the lusts to dress these masked faces. For the big comeback of lipstick, we'll have to wait a little longer.
Same hope among dry cleaners who have seen their activity drastically drop with work at home. At Pressandco, at the Cadet metro in Paris, "
suits, shirts and dresses are beginning to flow again
". However, the manager is annoyed at a return to normal that she finds too gradual. "
They have to stop teleworking,
" she grumbles, half-serious. On the roads, taxis are also observing the increase in traffic with more and more customers going to work or coming to Paris for business. A driver concedes, however, that, in the profession, "
the luck factor has a lot to do with it and that teleworking continues to weigh on the activity
".
Questions about the new face-to-face / telework rhythm
The health crisis has undeniably changed our habits and the return to 100% face-to-face does not seem to be planned for tomorrow in all companies. While the return therefore pleases traders, some concerns remain. The 231 East Street Opéra restaurant notes that some days remain fairly quiet. “
Surprisingly
,
we see more people on Thursday and Friday, colleagues choose a day to meet and eat together,
” says the manager. In a Lebanese restaurant, staff are worried about the “
new trend of teleworking
”. Even if the employees return, maintaining one or two days of teleworking could have an impact on the activity of traders in business districts.
Read alsoHow Sweep chose full teleworking for its employees
The president of the French Federation of Dry Cleaners and Laundries, Olivier Risse also deplores a mixed recovery. "
The dry cleaners still suffer from a shortfall of 30 to 40% compared to 2019
" he laments. According to him, the weak recovery can be attributed to "
the lack of obligation to come back to the office every day
". In office areas, where employees can still telework, activity is struggling to restart. The year will therefore be played out in October, once the agreements have been negotiated in the companies. Makeup stores will also be able to breathe completely when the French drop their masks and find their way back to the lipstick shelves.