Economy

Rural commerce: 62% of French municipalities should not have it

1 month ago 2 min read

In France, 62% of municipalities are devoid of commerce in comparison with 25% in 1980. To be able to fight the decline in commerce, an enormous plan to regain commerce in rural areas was launched final March. Goal: to reconnect within the villages.

Villages are determined for companies. In 1980, based on INSEE knowledge, 25% of French municipalities didn’t have any companies. Immediately there are 21,000 of them, or 62% of French municipalities, which are devoid of commerce. To be able to fight this decline, the Minister Delegate accountable for Small and Medium Enterprises, Commerce, Crafts and Tourism, Olivia Grégoire and the Minister Delegate accountable for Native Authorities and Rural Affairs, Dominique Faure, launched in March lastly a plan to reconquer commerce in rural areas to assist the institution of latest companies. Funding help of as much as 80,000 euros per undertaking might be allotted by the State.

A worrying scenario for city halls

Commerce is “the soul of our countryside”, defends the Minister Delegate accountable for Small and Medium Enterprises, Commerce, Crafts and Tourism Olivia Grégoire. In Annoire, within the Jura, this soul has not utterly disappeared however with the decline of native agricultural actions, the companies have all closed one after the opposite. “It’s a scenario that worries me so much as a result of the remaining aged folks within the village not have the opportunity of being provided as they was once,” explains Christian Lagalice, mayor of the city of 420 inhabitants.

A win-win system

In just a few months, Annoire will host a multi-service premises, just like the city of Mazangé in Loir-et-Cher, which was in a position to open an associative grocery retailer in September because of state help of 12,000 euros. A win-win system for the city and for the enterprise, underlines Christine Bourdier, co-founder of the affiliation accountable for the grocery retailer. “The village municipality got here to ask us to provide you with a undertaking. After which for us, the city corridor is the important companion who merely places a roof over our heads,” she says.

In accordance with Olivia Grégoire’s workplace, reopening companies will even assist battle in opposition to the sensation of being downgraded which may take maintain in these municipalities.