Franchises & Concept Stores

Provence, A Coveted Market For Global Brands

In the last few years, Provence has become an even more important location for major brands, particularly foreign brands: the American chain Burger King chose the Marseille Provence Airport as the place to launch their return to France; the Irish fashion chain Primark opened its first store on French soil at the Grand Littoral shopping center in Marseille; and the Japanese hotel group Toyoko Inn, which has more than 260 hotels around the world, placed its first French hotel in Marseille near the train station on the perimeter of the Euroméditerranée site.

Altogether, the region hosts 129 franchise headquarters, including 79 in the Bouches-du-Rhône (Saga Cosmetics, Spok, Boulangerie Ange, Café Noailles, Allo Pneus, Texto, La Compagnie des Petits, etc.) In the retail business, it's all about location location location, and Provence offers a spectacular choice of retail spaces both in the hearts of cities and in suburban areas such as Plan-de-Campagne, Marseille La Valentine, Marseille Grand Littoral, Vitrolles (Liourat-Bastide Blanche), Aubagne (Paluds-La Martelle), or Aix-en-Provence (La Pioline).

All national, franchised brands are present in Marseille and the surrounding area. Furthermore, all new brands and concept stores have the immediate goal of opening a location in Provence to benefit from the territory's enormous economic advantages as well as such additional benefits as quality of life, creativity, and authenticity.

Proof of the commercial dynamism of the metropolis can be found in the creation of new commercial districts, the renovation of existing commercial districts, and the evolution of promotional campaigns, especially in the city center. This dynamism creates an ideal framework for potential investors, and all the more so as it is reinforced by urban development projects in large and medium-sized urban areas (Euroméditerranée in Marseille, Mirabeau Campus Project in Aix-en-Provence...). The newly proposed zones bring together cutting-edge design with Mediterranean architectural culture.

The investments in transportation infrastructure and public transport for the entire metropolitan area will also extend the influence of retail catchment areas. This mobility of the client base in Provence is another advantage when it comes to retail concerns.

Finally, the sector is propelled by its world-class logistics sector. When it comes to transportation of merchandise, Aix-Marseille-Provence has elite multimodal transport options (maritime, air, rail, and road) with a growing investment in smart technology to make these options more efficient.

Key Franchise Figures For Provence

For the PACA region:

• 5000 franchised stores;
• Nearly 10% of all French franchises.

For the Bouches-du-Rhône department:

• 1.8 million inhabitants;
• 8 million tourists;
• 1.6 million cruise ship passengers.

Provence's Retail and Franchise Advantage

- Major private and public agencies supporting the creation of franchises in Provence: The CCI Marseille Provence, with its partners from the Top Franchise Méditerranée association in Marseille, organizes a Franchise Expo each year. This Expo brings together over a hundred exhibition stands from 35 different sectors of business and attracts over 3500 visitors.

- Large growth projects for future franchises: Two recently-opened, highly attractive centers, the Terrasses du Ports seaside shopping center in Marseille and the 26 000m² McArthurGlen designer outlet village in Miramas, two recently opened, are examples of new points of sale that are driving franchise growth. Other major projects are in progress, such as the future Prado-Vélodrome shopping mall in Marseille.

- Extensive transportation infrastructure and top logistics services: The Port of Marseille Fos with its connections and warehouses, road and rail networks on the Rhône axis to southern and northern Europe, an international airport specialized in express freight delivery, and logistics sites to handle all types of shipping demands.