When you buy something and look for a brand in France it’s not always going to be what you thought. Many of the brands I saw in ads as I ran through Metro stations in Paris where the big American Brands. Movies promoted, many of which are Disney, plus Euro Disney itself. And then there’s IKEA, which is nominally a European Brand from Sweden. They sell to everyone and are connected to hundreds of consumers worldwide.
The little experiences, small stores, the boulangeries (neighborhood bakeries), cafes, small retail clothing stores still exist, even in small villages and towns as I saw in Pont-‘lEveque, a small town in Normandy about 170 miles west of Paris, there are still the small stores but they also have the larger massive hyper markets on the edge of town. And I thought Walmart was big and then I saw Auchan.
The main shopping street in Point-'lEveque, Normandy, France
Auchan is a retail chain (hypermarkets, supermarkets, online sales, drive etc.) employing more than 210,000 people around the world. With many markets in France, this company is a power house of retail. The two stores I was visited had everything from food to clothing to books to appliances and outside it’s own gas pumps. Kind of mind blowing. Surrounding this massive store with over 50 check out areas, were a series of French specialty retailers, that covered everything from home and garden to outdoor camping equipment.
My question is will the small stores survive? Culturally I think they will. The French have very strong traditions but are willing to adapt to the practicalities of modern shopping but they love what is local and familiar.
Achen the hyper retail store that makes Walmart look small