Vincent Chabault. Francesca Montovani/Gallimard
INTERVIEW – Sociologist, professor at Paris Cité University, Vincent Chabault is the author ofStore praisepublished by Folio in 2023.
What is the impact of clothing store closures on the urban landscape?
During their most prosperous period, between 1990 and 2010, these brands were established almost everywhere in France: in metropolises as in medium-sized towns, sometimes in small towns. They have opened stores in city centers as well as in outlying shopping centres. This is why the disappearance of brands like Camaïeu is very visible. Moreover, these signs permeated the consumerist imagination of the French.
What evils are they victims of?
It would be easy to blame e-commerce, but it would be unfounded. These brands have been weakened by their successive shareholders, who have all insufficiently invested in the digitalization of sales and the renewal of collections. These brands stuck to their model even though the competitive landscape was turned upside down by the arrival of Zara in 1990, H&M in 1998, then Vinted and Primark in 2013. 2013…
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