What: IFM reports 1.8% growth in French fashion retail sales for November 2024, led by department stores' 6.1% increase, though performance varies significantly across different retail formats and remains below 2019 levels.

Why it is important: The varied performance across retail formats reveals shifting consumer preferences in the French market, with traditional department stores demonstrating resilience while mass-market fashion channels struggle to maintain relevance.

According to the French Fashion Institute's (IFM) provisional report, fashion retailers in France achieved 1.8% growth in November 2024 compared to 2023, benefiting from an additional Saturday in the month. Department stores and popular retailers led the growth with a 6.1% increase, followed by independent multi-brand retailers at 5.2%.

Specialised chains showed modest growth of 1.9%, while mass-market chains experienced a slight decline of 0.7%. Hypermarket fashion departments continued to struggle significantly, with sales dropping 9.2%. Overall, the sector remains 3.8% below 2019 levels. Physical stores outperformed online retail, with in-store sales growing 3% while e-commerce declined 5.4%. The cumulative performance for the first eleven months of 2024 shows a slight increase of 0.4%, with IFM projecting 2025 growth between -2% and +2%.

IADS Notes: While Galeries Lafayette and Printemps led growth with a 6.1% increase, independent multi-brand retailers also performed well at 5.2%. This contrasts with the struggles of hypermarket fashion departments, highlighting the continued strength of traditional department stores in the French market despite broader retail challenges.

November French fashion sales led by department stores