While the inflation rate stood at 4.9% in 2023 according to INSEE figures, two French brands chose to go against this upward trend. Their solution? Offer cheaper products to their consumers.
“The cost of living is getting higher and higher.” “It’s very simple, everything has increased”. On the 8 p.m. news, at the coffee machine and during Sunday lunches, the observation is the same: inflation is eating away at the purchasing power of French people. It is in this context that two French brands have decided to lower the prices of their products online and in their stores. Since the spring-summer 2024 collection, the ready-to-wear label Comptoir des Cotonniers and the lingerie specialist Prinesse tam tam have been selling their creations between 20 and 30% cheaper than before. A drop motivated by “the current complicated situation and above all, the desire to be accessible to as many women as possible”, we explain internally. Thus, at Comptoir des Cotonniers, which has been building its reputation as a mid-range label since 1995, clothes now sell for between 29 euros for a long-sleeved T-shirt and 325 euros for a cashmere coat. For its part, Princesse tam tam, founded in 1985 by sisters Loumia and Shama Hiridjee, offers its underwear between 15 euros for panties and 69 euros for a bodysuit. Ultimately, according to figures disclosed to the media Fashion Network by Yoshihiro Kunii, the CEO of the two brands, the objective is not to exceed 200 euros for Comptoir des Cotonniers and to remain below 50 euros per piece for Princesse tam tam.
Comptoir des Cotonniers and Princesse tam tam, inspired by Uniqlo?
With this price positioning, the two brands are closer to that of Uniqlo, the Japanese Fast Retailing brand which won the two French labels in 2005. The assumed objective of the Japanese group? Attract new consumers, particularly the 25-35 year old age group. Enough to hope for a rebound in activity at Comptoir des Cotonniers and Princesse tam tam, which in 2023 announced the implementation of a social plan including the closure of 55 stores and the elimination of 304 positions. To ensure that the two brands maintain their visibility in France, the opening of dedicated corners within Uniqlo stores has also been decided. Let us hope that these different measures ensure them a more serene future.