ABSTRACT
This sociological study by the Jean Jaurès Foundation combines a qualitative component (175 interviews, including 110 customers and 65 store owners, conducted in five shopping centers) with a quantitative component (1,000 French citizens representative of the national population) to document the social and functional role of shopping centers.
It focuses exclusively on visitors’ uses and perceptions of these spaces, without addressing the economic or territorial dimensions of the facilities themselves.
The study finds that these spaces, often considered outdated in public discourse, remain highly frequented (63% of French people visit them at least once a month) and are perceived as having successfully adapted (70%). Beyond their commercial function, they serve as daily landmarks, particularly in suburban areas and medium-sized cities, where they take on the role of a “village square”: fostering local social interaction, providing a sense of security, and serving as a regular meeting place for acquaintances.
Six profiles define this diversity of uses: the “regular,” a loyal retiree who visits several times a week; the “stroller,” with no intention to buy, seeking a walk and a change of scenery; the “busy professional,” focused on the efficiency of a quick stop; the “pragmatist,” committed to saving time and having “everything under one roof”; the “family group,” who come in groups for a shared outing; and the “companion,” present to support someone else rather than as an active shopper.
The study was published by the Jean-Jaurès Foundation, a think tank recognized as a public-benefit organization founded in 1992, based on a survey commissioned by Carmila—Europe’s third-largest publicly traded commercial real estate company—and conducted by Ifop.
Keywords
Local roots, catchment area, suburban retail, consumption, commercial real estate company, Ifop, social ties, sociology of consumption, user typology, commercial district.
Illustration: © Jean Jaurès Foundation
