For consumers in France, inflation eclipses other sources of concern. It triggers changes in shopping behaviors as consumers seek better value for money.
French consumers’ optimism regarding the economic recovery is stable at around 14 percent—a level last seen in the depths of COVID-19 lockdowns. Top sources of concern are rising prices (cited by 54 percent), followed by the invasion of Ukraine (13 percent) and climate change (10 percent) and far ahead of COVID-19 (4 percent). Nine out of ten survey respondents perceive high price inflation in the country. These trends have implications for brand and retailer loyalty: of the 73 percent of respondents saying they have tried new shopping behaviors in the last three months, 40 percent say they purchased private labels. Household products remain the category most affected by this trading-down trend.