Apparel sales in France surpass pre-pandemic levels in September

Textile and apparel sales in France rose 4.3% above pre-pandemic levels in September, according to consolidated figures from the French Fashion Institute (IFM), which also reported a 0.4% contraction over the first nine months of the year.

In the first nine months of 2024, the sector also remained will below the results recorded in the same period in 2019, losing 7.3% in revenue. Only generalist retail chains (such as Gemo, Kiabi, and La Halle) managed to avoid this decline.

“Compared to our forecasts from January, the market trend is slightly more positive than our median scenario,” noted IFM, which had projected a 1% drop in apparel and textile consumption for 2024.

While September saw a 14% sales boost, caution is advised, given the sector’s particularly weak performance in September 2023.

E-commerce proved the most dynamic channel in September 2024, with a 23.6% increase, compared to 11.2% for physical stores. Among channels, large chain stores saw the largest gains, with an increase of up to 21.7%, while hypermarkets benefited the least, posting only a 1.5% rise.

Following a positive 2022 (up by 3.9% compared to 2021), the French textile and apparel market saw a downturn of 1.3% in 2023, putting it 5.6% below pre-pandemic levels.