Mixed news in latest AFCOV Index

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John Rimmer

23-Jun-2005

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The revamped analysis of year-on-year performance in French travel-retail suggests that sales per passenger are slowing

The first sales index of 2005 issued by French travel-retail body Association Française du Commerce du Voyageur (AFCOV) points to disappointing sales in some categories despite a general increase in passenger traffic. This year the AFCOV Index has been reworked to separate the liquor, tobacco and beauty and "other products" categories, and the first-quarter results show that sales per passenger across all categories are down on 2004 figures.

In its comparison of turnover in January-March 2005 compared to the previous year, sales of fragrances and cosmetics fared best, and were up by 6.35% on 2004 in March. Setting aside a fall in sales across all categories in February—which was a day shorter this year than in 2004—sales of liquor are slightly up this year, while turnover from the tobacco category recovered in March.

The outlook provided by sales per passenger figures is less encouraging, which AFCOV blamed on wider consumer trends. Tobacco sales per passenger are well down on 2004, with liquor also showing a steady decline. Again, the beauty category was more robust and better able to profit from the increase in traffic, although sales per passenger remained slightly down on 2004.

The AFCOV Index measures sales and sales per passenger in core categories across a broad range of French travel-retail outlets, including four key airports, ferries and Aelia's Eurotunnel operation.