Franchise Expo Paris 2024 : A promising and innovative 42nd edition with new features and first-time highlights
Press release - March 2024
The 2024 edition of the exhibition Franchise Expo Paris is gearing up to welcome nearly 130 hospitality, food and supermarket brands, including more than 90 that did not attend the 2023 show. In spite of continuing headwinds in the wake of the pandemic, the sector is making a strong comeback with a noteworthy return of many brands, reflecting an economic upturn and growing optimism in the food trade.
Foodservice, the most vibrant sector at Franchise Expo Paris
● Theme-based restaurants: approximately 40 brands, half of them new
Just like every year, Italian catering stands above the rest, with the participations of A Tavola!, Del Arte, La Pizza de Nico, Il Ristorante and also a newcomer in Gruppomimo.
There is a particularly large number of bars and brasseries, with not only the regular exhibitors but also new and trending brands such as Les Sardines and Löwengrube. There is a growing presence of steakhouse concepts, with brands including Bistro Régent Grill, La Boucherie, Indiana Café, and Le Kiosque du Boucher. Another noteworthy trend is the emergence of seafood restaurants with Mer Sea et Léon.
Another trend to look out for this year is theme restaurants that sell their own products in grocery format.
New this year, the show is welcoming an increasing number of regional concepts shining a light on specialities from the four corners of France, such as Le Comptoir de Mamie Bigoude, l’Alsacien, and l’Atelier Artisan Crêpier.
While brands with foreign influences remain popular, one can nonetheless note the French going “back to roots” with a desire to consume French specialities.
● Fast food: around 50 brands including 30 new
Burgers are out in force this year with about ten new brands, including the comeback of the iconic McDonald’s, which had spent several years away from the show. Other newcomers are Point B, Black & White Burger, a concept dreamt up by the well-known YouTuber IbraTV, PNY, Les Burgers de Lucien, and Steak ‘n Shake. The vegan burger segment is also gaining traction, with new players such as Furahaa Restauration and Green Farmer’s. Among other well-known brands, Subway is also back at the show this year to win over sandwich lovers.
The healthy trend is also continuing its growth trajectory with the appearance of increasingly diversified brands such as Spok (chef canteens), Jour, Dubble and Mister Garden.
The traditional segment dedicated to poke bowls and sushi will be in the limelight again at the show, with the unavoidable Pokawa centre stage, and newcomers such as Heiko, Tohana and Matsuri.
To sum up, the fast food sector is getting bigger with growing momentum for brands that are not necessarily associated with the label of junk food. In addition to healthy and vegan concepts which are growing fast, the market is witnessing the emergence of an increasing number of “fast good” concepts, where the advantages of fast food are combined with those of table service restaurants. Such is the case for example with Pizza Cosy and Nacho, which offer dishes made from high quality ingredients and under the watchful gaze of the diners themselves.
Specialist food shops are all go, and showing impressive vitality in certain sectors
In the bakery segment, the sector is continuing on its strong upward trend, with a lot of brands represented here. In particular we can note the comeback of Boulangerie Feuillette, Mariette, Augustin and Sophie Lebreuilly. Meanwhile, several trending brands are making their debut, such as Bakin’Donuts et Miss Cookies Coffee.
The coffee and tea segment is once again very well represented this year, with the big movers being coffee and bubble tea. Moreover, 11 of the bubble tea concepts exhibiting are from outside France.
The coffee shop concept is continuing to grow in popularity, with Café Méricourt, Coutume Café and French Coffee Shop proving to be go-to brands at the show.
In the grocery segment, there are several ice cream brands, with the iconic Häagen-Dazs making a comeback, and new players including La Fabrique Givrée – a concept using natural ingredients – and Don Nino.
In this area, loyal clients continue to pay an annual visit to traditional brands which make up the lion’s share of the market.
This year, foreign brands account for a significant proportion of the specialist food shop sector, with 15 exhibitors out of the 49 on show. Italy and Spain top the list in the grocery segment, while Asia leads the way in cafés.
For the first time, Germany is putting in an appearance with its delicatessen, oils and condiments brand vom FASS. The Korean bakery brand Paris Baguette, highly popular in its home country, is also exhibiting for the first time.
General food stores: a sector doing well despite changing consumer trends
The exhibition continues to attract the leading names in mass retail such as Carrefour, Monoprix and Auchan.
New this year: the participation of Khadispal and Picard.
In contrast, enthusiasm for organic products has died down. Only the major brands such as La Vie Claire and Naturalia are exhibiting at the show. The organic sector has seen a drop in popularity, which can be explained by French people putting more emphasis on locally sourced goods than on specifically organic (this year marks the first participation of La Récolte, a network of farm shops), and a cost of living crisis which favours budget-priced food chains.
In conclusion, these three categories all connected with the notion of enjoyment, are well represented this year, reflecting the intention of French consumers to take pleasure from their food in the years to come.
About the French Franchising Federation
A major player in the dynamism of the French economy, the French Franchising Federation is the professional federation of franchisors and their franchisees since 1971. It represents the franchising model, a model of entrepreneurship based on the transfer of know-how and the sharing of value. Its role is to promote, defend and perpetuate the franchise model, but also to federate its ecosystem and create the tools and the environment for the development and performance of franchise networks. In 1981, the French Franchise Federation created the Franchise Expo Paris exhibition, which has since become a major annual international franchising event.
In France, franchising accounts for 1,972 networks, 84,497 franchised outlets, for a turnover of more than 76.6 billion euros. The activity generates 828,178 jobs (direct and indirect). In 2009, the FFF created the Acadélmie de la Franchise, the first training organisation for franchising professions, whose services are aimed at future franchisees, but also to future and current franchisors.
Find out more at: www.franchise-fff.com
About Infopro Digital
Infopro Digital is a B2B group specializing in information and technology. Ranked as the 8th largest technology group in France, the group is present in 18 countries and employs nearly 4,000 people. Its innovative solutions are aimed at professional communities in five key economic sectors: Construction & Public Sector, Automotive, Risk & Insurance, Industry, and Retail. Thanks to the group’s sector-specific expertise, Infopro Digital covers all the needs of professionals. Its solutions enable decision-makers to make informed decisions and companies to sustainably develop their business and performance.
Find out more at: www.infopro-digital.com
About Tous entrepreneurs
This media dedicated to entrepreneurship and franchising has been designed to allow entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners to find all the information they need to build and develop their project all year round. They can find testimonials, practical advice, expert opinions and all useful information on business creation.
This media platform, which is affiliated to the Franchise Expo Paris exhibition, also focuses on franchising and its advantages.
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