As the end-of-year holidays approach, French consumers seem to be becoming more optimistic about their purchasing power. According to the Rakuten and Ipsos barometer, this does not stop them from taking precautions and looking for good deals.
In a still tense economic context and declining purchasing power, the French are preparing to celebrate the end of year holidays. According to the new 2024 Christmas Barometer, produced by Ipsos for Rakuten, consumers are showing renewed optimism about their purchasing power. Nearly half (49%) think it will remain stable (+11 points compared to 2023), and 13% even expect an improvement. This more positive outlook marks a decline in the pessimism that predominated in previous years, when 53% thought that their purchasing power would deteriorate in 2022 compared to 50% in 2023 and 38% in 2024.
Despite this renewed optimism, many organize themselves in advance to manage their expenses as best as possible. 75% of them say they plan ahead, and 46% set a budget to respect, a trend increasing by three points. Consumers even speak of necessary concessions. These should mainly affect clothing (60%), leisure and cultural outings (55%), and energy (42%) while technological products and electronics seem less impacted this year, allowing the French to preserve certain pleasures.
Consumers attentive to promotions
Beyond possible concessions, the Rakuten barometer shows that the French are also particularly attentive to good deals, with 59% of them actively looking for discounts. In this dynamic, Black Friday stands out as a key moment to anticipate the holidays by benefiting from significant reductions while optimizing expenses. In fact, more than 8 out of 10 French people plan to do their Christmas shopping during this promotional event. Young people aged 16 to 34 are particularly attached to it, 92% of them plan to buy on this occasion, and 46% are already used to it.
Second hand still very popular
With the aim of saving money while adopting virtuous consumption behavior, the French continue to turn to second hand. The Rakuten barometer highlights that one in two French people (50%) plans to offer second-hand or reconditioned gifts, a practice that has increased significantly since 2020, a sign that it is becoming a lasting part of consumption habits.
The most popular second-hand gift categories for Christmas include cultural products (46%), clothing (41%) and toys (38%).
Emerging sources of income
French consumers favor online shopping for its many advantages such as the ease of finding products (57%), the possibility of comparing prices (56%), as well as a wide choice (53%). Recently, cashback continues to gain popularity, with 22% of French people considering it as a reason to buy on the internet. A savings option particularly popular with 29% of 16 to 34 year olds.
If their purchases can allow them to recover a few euros, reselling the gifts they receive is another. Nearly 4 in 10 French people say they are ready to resell gifts that do not suit them, a practice that is increasingly accepted socially: 71% of French people say they will not be offended if one of their gifts is resold.
On average, the resale of one or more gifts allowed respondents in the study conducted by Rakuten and Ipsos to recover 100 euros in 2023. 23% of resellers even generated more and for 2% of them, the amount exceeded 500 euros. Additional income significant in periods of strong pressure on purchasing power.
Source: www.ecommercemag.fr
