French fashion retail in transition: overview of a reinvented sector
This year, in France, of over 2,000 shop openings recorded by Newmark, only 13 percent concerned the fashion sector. This figure, far from anecdotal, reflected the major shift currently shaping fashion retail and redrawing the landscape of our shopping streets.
The turning point began in late 2019. Progressively, more and more mid-range fashion brands closed their shops. While the total number of points of sale for fashion brands with at least 30 shops in France still progressed slightly (2 percent) between 2015 and 2019, a recent survey by Newmark indicated a decrease of 16 percent between 2019 and 2024.
Fashion remained one of the most present sectors in the commercial landscape, but its weight weakened in favour of the catering and food sectors. In Paris, at the beginning of 2024, the clothing and footwear sectors were among those closing more than they opened. Conversely, the catering and food sectors opened more locations than they closed.
This decrease was not only due to the liquidations and receiverships that have hit brands (Camaieu, Naf Naf, André, etc.) hard in recent years; it also occurred due to optimisation plans by fashion leaders whose financial health remained good. Boosted by the growth of their online sales, the heavyweights of clothing chose to close several of their shops. The Inditex group, parent company of Zara, was an excellent example.
Since 2019, the Spanish giant reduced the number of its shops worldwide by 26 percent while increasing their average surface area by 24 percent. In France, the group notably closed shops in several shopping centres and, in parallel, carried out flagship extension projects in major Parisian thoroughfares as well as in regional shopping centres.
Parisian retail and its newcomers
In Paris, things were not going too badly: the vacancy rate stabilised, high-end beauty and sportswear concepts multiplied, and the number of luxury boutique openings increased (although still far from the 2022 peak).
In 2025, the Golden Triangle (rue François 1er in particular) continued to attract high-end and cutting-edge fashion brands, as did rue Saint-Honoré and the Marais. In addition to these areas, the most popular thoroughfares in the capital remained the avenue des Champs-Élysées, rue de la Paix and place Vendôme, rue de Passy, rue de Rivoli and avenue de l'Opéra, particularly for the restaurant sector.
The arrival of many foreign brands (all sectors combined) was also noted. 103 new entrants were recorded in France in 2024, while for the current year, 75 projects had already been identified. In 2025 (as in 2024), catering (35 percent) and fashion (28 percent) were the two sectors most affected by these newcomers, followed by leather goods and accessories (8 percent), beauty and well-being (4 percent).
In Paris, new foreign fashion, streetwear and sportswear brands favoured the Marais district, while outside the capital, new entrants preferred commercial areas and major shopping centres such as Val d'Europe, Westfield, La Part-Dieu. Among the foreign fashion brands to have opened their own shops in 2025 were Alysi (Paris 7e), Name It (Roubaix), Reformation (Paris 4e), and Unfeigned (Paris 3e).
Twinset Milano, boutique in the Marais district, Paris. Credits: Twinset Milano
Fashion in shopping centres
While fashion accounted for only 13 percent of the 2,000 potential shop openings identified by Newmark in 2025, catering represented 28 percent and food 17 percent. These two sectors, along with leisure and discount, formed the main drivers of new developments, particularly in shopping centres. As FashionUnited noted in 2023, the clothing and accessories segment, which once attracted crowds in the aisles of shopping malls, lost ground to brands from other sectors such as Action, Boulanger, and Gifi.
However, it should be remembered that some fashion brands continued to develop in suburban commercial areas. Besson, Chaussea, Zeeman, Takko Fashion, Vib's, Naomy, We Are Select and Size Factory were the main examples.(AFP)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Out Dubai
3 hours ago
- Time Out Dubai
Emirates announces new daily flight to popular European destination
We might just be stepping into summer, but if you're already planning your holidays for the rest of the year, then there's a new flight you need to know about. Emirates has just announced it will be adding a new daily service to the Spanish city of Barcelona to keep up with demand. If you like this: Taking Uber rides can now get you cheaper Emirates flights Starting from Sunday October 26, the coastal city will then have a total of 21 weekly Emirates flights per week from Dubai. Known for it's incredible architecture, tasty tapas and impressive beachfront, the new flight will be the third daily service to Barcelona. Departing for Barcelona from Dubai International Airport (DXB), the three flights will leave at 3.45am, 8.15am and 2pm respectively. (Credit: Canva) Returning to Dubai, the flights will take off from El Prat Airport (BCN) at 3.10pm, 3.30pm and 8.25pm. Tickets can be booked on the Emirates App, or via both online and offline travel agents as well as at Emirates retail stores. Earlier this week, the airline also revealed it has partnered up with another huge travel company to make your life even easier. Launched this week, the team up between Emirates and Uber means more rewards for frequent riders and flyers. When you book an Uber ride, you'll soon be able to earn Skywards miles in select markets across Emirates' global network. And with the Skywards programme, you can get cheaper flight tickets with both Emirates and flydubai (plus a bunch of other amazing perks in Dubai). You'll also be able to get vouchers for Uber rides when booking flights with Emirates, which will allow your plane ticket to take you further and offer a smoother connection from the airport. In other Dubai news Teddy Swims is coming to Dubai for the first time ever And this is how you can get tickets This is exactly how long summer will last in Dubai this year Feeling the heat? How to eat out in Dubai for just Dhs10 this summer Bargain alert
Fashion United
a day ago
- Fashion United
French fashion retail in transition: overview of a reinvented sector
This year, in France, of over 2,000 shop openings recorded by Newmark, only 13 percent concerned the fashion sector. This figure, far from anecdotal, reflected the major shift currently shaping fashion retail and redrawing the landscape of our shopping streets. The turning point began in late 2019. Progressively, more and more mid-range fashion brands closed their shops. While the total number of points of sale for fashion brands with at least 30 shops in France still progressed slightly (2 percent) between 2015 and 2019, a recent survey by Newmark indicated a decrease of 16 percent between 2019 and 2024. Fashion remained one of the most present sectors in the commercial landscape, but its weight weakened in favour of the catering and food sectors. In Paris, at the beginning of 2024, the clothing and footwear sectors were among those closing more than they opened. Conversely, the catering and food sectors opened more locations than they closed. This decrease was not only due to the liquidations and receiverships that have hit brands (Camaieu, Naf Naf, André, etc.) hard in recent years; it also occurred due to optimisation plans by fashion leaders whose financial health remained good. Boosted by the growth of their online sales, the heavyweights of clothing chose to close several of their shops. The Inditex group, parent company of Zara, was an excellent example. Since 2019, the Spanish giant reduced the number of its shops worldwide by 26 percent while increasing their average surface area by 24 percent. In France, the group notably closed shops in several shopping centres and, in parallel, carried out flagship extension projects in major Parisian thoroughfares as well as in regional shopping centres. Parisian retail and its newcomers In Paris, things were not going too badly: the vacancy rate stabilised, high-end beauty and sportswear concepts multiplied, and the number of luxury boutique openings increased (although still far from the 2022 peak). In 2025, the Golden Triangle (rue François 1er in particular) continued to attract high-end and cutting-edge fashion brands, as did rue Saint-Honoré and the Marais. In addition to these areas, the most popular thoroughfares in the capital remained the avenue des Champs-Élysées, rue de la Paix and place Vendôme, rue de Passy, rue de Rivoli and avenue de l'Opéra, particularly for the restaurant sector. The arrival of many foreign brands (all sectors combined) was also noted. 103 new entrants were recorded in France in 2024, while for the current year, 75 projects had already been identified. In 2025 (as in 2024), catering (35 percent) and fashion (28 percent) were the two sectors most affected by these newcomers, followed by leather goods and accessories (8 percent), beauty and well-being (4 percent). In Paris, new foreign fashion, streetwear and sportswear brands favoured the Marais district, while outside the capital, new entrants preferred commercial areas and major shopping centres such as Val d'Europe, Westfield, La Part-Dieu. Among the foreign fashion brands to have opened their own shops in 2025 were Alysi (Paris 7e), Name It (Roubaix), Reformation (Paris 4e), and Unfeigned (Paris 3e). Twinset Milano, boutique in the Marais district, Paris. Credits: Twinset Milano Fashion in shopping centres While fashion accounted for only 13 percent of the 2,000 potential shop openings identified by Newmark in 2025, catering represented 28 percent and food 17 percent. These two sectors, along with leisure and discount, formed the main drivers of new developments, particularly in shopping centres. As FashionUnited noted in 2023, the clothing and accessories segment, which once attracted crowds in the aisles of shopping malls, lost ground to brands from other sectors such as Action, Boulanger, and Gifi. However, it should be remembered that some fashion brands continued to develop in suburban commercial areas. Besson, Chaussea, Zeeman, Takko Fashion, Vib's, Naomy, We Are Select and Size Factory were the main examples.(AFP)
Fashion United
a day ago
- Fashion United
El Corte Inglés ends 2024 with its highest revenue in 14 years
Madrid – Spanish department store group El Corte Inglés (ECI) presented its financial results for the 2024/2025 financial year. This period, which ended on February 28, saw the company, chaired by Marta Álvarez, achieve its highest revenue in 14 years. According to information provided by the management of the Spanish group, ECI ended its last financial year with total revenue of 16.68 billion euros. This figure is two percent higher than the 16.33 billion euros recorded during its previous financial year of 2023; this percentage rises to 4.3 percent on a like-for-like (LFL) basis. Put into greater context, this represents ECI's best turnover since 2010, when it generated total revenue of 16.41 billion euros. In terms of profitability, the company experienced growth of 4.5 percent in its gross margin, a development that they highlighted was driven by 'the strong performance of the own brand' which complements the commercial offering of its stores and points of sale. This performance allowed the company to record EBITDA of 1.21 billion euros (up 11.9 percent year-over-year (YoY)), which translated into a net profit of 512 million euros (up 6.7 percent). Excluding extraordinary expenses and income, this resulted in a recurring net profit of 470 million euros. This improvement in profitability was accompanied by a reduction in the company's debt of 263 million euros. 'In the 2024/25 financial year,' ECI stated in a press release, 'El Corte Inglés achieved significant growth in its main business areas, as well as in all financial metrics.' This 'strong performance', they emphasised, 'reflects improvements in management efficiency, a commitment to customer service, and continuous innovation and quality in its products'. Fashion and beauty as main revenue streams Breaking down this performance by business area, retail sales, which accounts for the bulk of the company's activity and that of its shopping centres, remained ECI's main source of revenue, with a global figure of 12.98 billion euros (up one percent, up 3.9 percent LFL). The solid performance of fashion and beauty sales stood out, reaching 5.70 billion euros (up 4.9 percent); food and hospitality reached 3.04 billion euros (up 4.8 percent); and home and electronics reached 2.70 billion euros (up 3.4 percent). This growth was reinforced by the online channel, through which the company achieved a turnover of over 891.7 million euros (up 3.9 percent), resulting in a retail EBITDA of 922 million euros. As for the rest of ECI's main business areas, its travel division, Viajes El Corte Inglés, recorded revenue of 3.45 billion euros (up 4.3 percent), achieving an EBITDA of 101 million euros; Financiera El Corte Inglés recorded a net profit of 50 million euros (up 22.8 percent); and Seguros El Corte Inglés a net profit of 71 million euros, after growing by 8.6 percent. Completing these items was revenue of 83 million euros collected from the rental and commercialisation of various spaces in the group's centres to other operators, such as opticians and hairdressers, to complement the customer offering. Outlook for 2025 Looking ahead to the new financial year, ECI simply stated that 'the company faces the 2025/2026 financial year with positive prospects in its various business areas'. These forecasts are already influenced by the new five-year strategic plan, for 2025 to 2030, which is still pending presentation, and which the new management team, led by Gastón Bottazzini, has been working on for almost a year. Bottazzini's position was strengthened last April when it was decided to abolish the Executive Committee, through which Álvarez had been closely supervising his decisions. In summary El Corte Inglés presented its 2024/2025 results with the best revenue in 14 years, reaching 16.68 billion euros, up two percent YoY. The company experienced growth of 4.5 percent in its gross margin, driven by its own brand, and an increase in net profit of 6.7 percent, to 512 million euros. Fashion and beauty sales were the main revenue streams, and the company has a positive outlook for the 2025/2026 financial year, during which it is expected to begin implementing a new strategic plan. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
