Why does franchising have such a great future in Provence?

Why does franchising have such a great future in Provence? How to make your retail network in Provence a success? What support is offered to people setting up franchises or master franchises in Provence? Provence Promotion and the Marseille Provence Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be answering all these questions and more on stand A13 at the Franchise Expo show in Paris from March 22 through 25, their second successive participation at the event. With the creation of new shopping malls, the refurbishment of existing ones and the rezoning of city centers, the opportunities are numerous for project carriers.

Marseille-Provence – A growth area for retail networks

With numerous real-estate investment projects underway across the region, Marseille-Provence is becoming a prime destination for retail networks. As franchisee earnings rise in France (+8.5% in 2014 compared with 2013 according to the French Franchise Federation), opportunities are increasing considerably both in Marseille and the other towns in the Bouches-du-Rhône département.

In Marseille, the construction of new shopping malls is in full swing. Examples of soon-to-be-delivered projects include the Docks Marseille, a living, shopping and leisure space in a completely renovated historical building, Bleu Capelette, a new shopping mall in the east of the city comprising 51 retail outlets and a multiplex movie theater and Prado Marseille, adjoining the Velodrome Stadium, aimed at the “affordable luxury” market.

This will to boost economic activity in the region’s towns and cities has spawned new projects in city centers too, such as the Forum des Carmes in Istres and the Place Morgan mixed-use program in Salon de Provence (7600 sq. m. and 5600 sq. m. of retail space respectively), or in Aix-en-Provence, with the Jas de Bouffan shopping mall extension.

A further 20,000 sq. m. of retail space housing a hundred or so upmarket and luxury brands selling at  heavily discounted prices are also due to be delivered as part of McArthurGlen’s Village de Marques (brand village) project underway at Miramas, while shopping malls are being expanded at Vitrolles and Plan de Campagne.  In all, almost 170,000 of new retail space should be delivered in the Marseille-Provence region over the next few years.

For franchisees, this multiplicity of locations and concepts offers huge advantages. It guarantees they will be able to find a location suited to their business sector and target market in a stimulating environment for sales growth.

It is against this background of an expanding commercial real-estate offer that Provence Promotion and the CCIMP have decided to share a stand at the world’s largest franchise show, the Franchise Expo.

Complementary partners providing support to project carriers

As part of their role in providing support to enterprise creation projects, the Bouches-du-Rhône’s economic development agency Provence Promotion and the Marseille Provence Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be jointly promoting the region to future franchisees and retail networks alike. The aim of this complementary partnership is to offer entrepreneurs and franchise executives solutions that are adapted to their needs.

If the Chamber of Commerce’s role will be to assist project carriers in setting up new outlets in the region, that of Provence Promotion will involve attracting foreign franchises to the Bouches-du-Rhône and providing special support to master franchisors, thanks to its knowledge of both the French and overseas markets.

Many foreign brands have already set up successful retail networks in Provence, for example the leading Brazilian luxury leather goods company Carmen Steffens which, with the help of Provence Promotion, opened its first pilot store in Aix-en-Provence before expanding in Provence and throughout France. Incidentally, Carmen Steffens is to be awarded the “Invest in Provence” label at the Franchise Expo event.

> To find out more about the free, tailored support services available to you, please come and see us on stand A13 or contact Catherine SERRE - +33 (0)49 611 6001 / +33 (0)68 590 6001 - c.serre@provence-promotion.fr