French consumers are continuing to spend, but are changing how they shop as financial pressure affects household budgets, according to a new study by Worldpanel by Numerator.
According to the study, a fifth (20%) of French households say that they are now finding it difficult to make ends meet, compared with 17% in 2022.
Elsewhere, close to a third (31%) say they are only just managing to cover their monthly expenses. This pressure is influencing everyday purchasing decisions, with more than half (55%) of households saying they are limiting spending on leisure purchases and almost 60% saying they are going out less.
Consumer spend
Overall consumer spending in France has increased by just 0.3% compared with 2025, however these figures vary across different areas of consumption. Spending outside the home fell by 3.9%, Worldpanel by Numerator noted.
Consumers are also changing the way they shop. French households made 4.2 more purchase occasions than in 2025, while the size of their baskets has decreased. According to Worldpanel by Numerator, this is because consumers are increasingly dividing their shopping into smaller purchases, allowing them to adjust spending at each checkout and respond to immediate needs.
An increase in shopping frequency has therefore become a way of managing household budgets, it added. Rather than reducing consumption altogether, consumers are using more frequent purchases and smaller baskets to maintain control over spending.
Changing habits
The choice of products is also changing. Private-label products gained 0.8 percentage points of volume market share, as consumers seek out lower-priced alternatives, particularly in categories such as grocery, drinks and self-service delicatessen.
At the same time, health and pet care are identified as areas where consumers continue to prioritise spending. For 95% of French households, good nutrition is considered the main factor in maintaining good health.
In pet care, meanwhile, some 61% of pet owners say that they consider their animal to be a member of the family. These consumers account for 67% of pet food spending and have an average annual budget of €325, compared with €227 for the average buyer. Read more here.
