Story no.201OngoingEconomy +4NotableHaute-Garonne +3627 Oct → 12 Nov121 facts · 250 art.
Purchasing power: precariousness and consumer adaptations in France
On November 10, 2026, several findings illustrate the decline in purchasing power: Lidl is attracting a broader clientele, the €1 meal at the University of Toulon is a victim of its own success, and the "Pancake index" shows a 10% drop over ten years. The same day, the Crédit municipal de Montpellier is seeing a surge in jewelry deposits in exchange for cash, while cost-price products are presented as a lever against the high cost of living. On November 11, a study highlights the boom in second-hand goods in Brittany, DIY stores are betting on low prices, and Secours catholique presents its annual report on poverty, with a testimony in Burgundy. A restaurant offering a €1 kebab causes a surge in attendance requiring police intervention. On November 12, the Crédit municipal de Nice puts unrecovered jewelry up for auction, and economists and the CEO of Coopérative U mention French people "at the end of their tether" in the face of precariousness.
In brief
Ongoing story bringing together 121 events nationwide, followed from 27 October 2026 to 12 November 2026. 250 articles from 41 sources (economy, social, society and 2 more); last updated on 12 November 2026 at 09:30.
212 articles of rated outlets · 38 unrated outside the bar · 41 sources (250 art.) · the three sides talk about it · outlets: left 5, centre 19, right 9
Angle comparison for the whole story
All three sides cover the same news on purchasing power and precariousness, but the left focuses on testimonies from poor people and inequalities, the center on opinion polls and life stories, while the right highlights wage downgrading, the responsibility of policymakers, and criticism of aid.
Left
Highlights stories from people in poverty (RSA recipients, Lidl customers, Crédit municipal depositors), the rise in poverty, and criticism of the concept of purchasing power as an illusion of limitless consumption.
Centre
Relies on polls and surveys (Secours catholique, OpinionWay) to describe the feeling of impoverishment and the ambivalent solidarity of the French, with testimonies from students and the working poor.
Right
Highlights the lag of French wages compared to Europe, the decline in purchasing power for executives, criticism of taxes and aid, and gives a voice to entrepreneurs and RN voters.
Written by an AI from headlines and extracts only of all events in the story · 12 Nov, 08h43
Context and reference points, separate from the story's news. Every item links to its source; updated on 12 Nov
Key terms
- Purchasing power
- In economics, purchasing power refers to the amount of money a person can save after spending on essential needs, reflecting their ability to accumulate wealth rather than consume. Its measurement depends notably on the evolution of prices for goods and services. Wikipédia
- Poverty rate
- The poverty rate corresponds to the proportion of the population living on disposable income below the poverty line. This threshold corresponds to a percentage of national median income and therefore varies by country; by convention, the 60% of median income threshold is mainly used. Wikipédia
- Crédit municipal
- In France, municipal credit institutions are both municipal public establishments and banking-nature enterprises that hold the monopoly on pawn loans and carry out other banking activities. Their main activity consists of granting short-term (two-year) pawn loans. Wikipédia
- Second-hand
- Reuse, which second-hand refers to, is the set of systems and channels allowing objects to be recovered before they are thrown away, to give them a second life. It preserves the object's initial function and differs from recycling, repair, and re-use. Wikipédia
Timeline
newest firstOutlets:LeftCentreRightUncategorised· badge = severity
- 08h45
LatestPurchasing power: Schelcher acknowledges French people "at the end of their rope"
Dominique Schelcher, CEO of Coopérative U, acknowledges that many French people are at the end of their rope and tired of the economic situation.
BFMTV / RMCCentre
- 08h30
« Les Français n'arrivent plus à sortir de la pauvreté par le travail »
L'historienne Axelle Brodiez-Dolino explique comment la précarisation de l'emploi maintient de nombreux travailleurs dans la pauvreté.
Le ProgrèsCentreLe Dauphiné libéréCentreLe Bien PublicCentre+1 outlet
- 08h30
Pouvoir d'achat : les Français jugent la pauvreté en hausse
Selon l'économiste Pascale Hébel, la perception d'un appauvrissement des Français correspond à une réalité, le reste à vivre diminuant.
Le Bien PublicCentreLe Dauphiné libéréCentreL'Est RépublicainCentre
- 07h33
Erasmus students recount their budget and housing struggles
Erasmus students share their financial difficulties, particularly for housing and food, with cafeteria meals costing 8 euros.
Le ParisienCentre
- 06h16
Nice : vente aux enchères des objets non récupérés au Crédit municipal
Le Crédit municipal de Nice a mis aux enchères près de 139 lots de bijoux et montres déposés en gage et non récupérés par leurs propriétaires.
Nice-MatinCentre
- 22h20
A restaurant offers a kebab for €1 and triggers an uncontrollable crowd
A restaurant offering a kebab for €1 attracted hundreds of customers, requiring police intervention to control the crowd.
La Voix du NordCentre
- 19h00
Poverty: annual report from Catholic Relief in Burgundy
During the presentation of the annual report from Catholic Relief in Talant, an Angolan refugee couple shared their difficulties and concerns about the future.
Le Bien PublicCentre
- 16h38
Le Secours catholique présente son rapport annuel sur la pauvreté
Le Secours catholique doit présenter ce jeudi son 31e rapport sur la pauvreté, avec des chiffres annoncés comme très préoccupants.
L'UnionCentreLe MondeCentre-leftOuest-FranceCentre+2 outlets
- 16h32
Bricolage : les enseignes misent sur les petits prix face à la baisse des ventes
Le marché du bricolage recule depuis trois ans et les enseignes multiplient les offres à petits prix, à l'image du magasin éphémère Lidl ouvert à Marseille.
franceinfoUncategorised
- 06h00
En Bretagne, le boom de la seconde main illustré par une étude
Une étude analysant les données de paiement de plus de 20 millions de cartes bancaires montre que les Bretons ont un panier moyen plus élevé pour les achats d'occasion, porté par le foisonnement des boutiques de réemploi dans la région.
Le MondeCentre-left
In figures
Affected departments
National
- 31 Haute-Garonne
- 59 Nord
- 62 Pas-de-Calais
- 06 Alpes-Maritimes
- 22 Côtes-d'Armor
- 27 Eure
- 02 Aisne
- 08 Ardennes
- 29 Finistère
- 34 Hérault
- 35 Ille-et-Vilaine
- 51 Marne
- 56 Morbihan
- 67 Bas-Rhin
- 72 Sarthe
- 10 Aube
- 11 Aude
- 13 Bouches-du-Rhône
- 16 Charente
- 21 Côte-d'Or
- 38 Isère
- 42 Loire
- 49 Maine-et-Loire
- 60 Oise
- 69 Rhône
- 73 Savoie
- 74 Haute-Savoie
- 75 Paris
- 76 Seine-Maritime
- 78 Yvelines
- 80 Somme
- 81 Tarn
- 83 Var
- 84 Vaucluse
- 85 Vendée
- 87 Haute-Vienne
- 91 Essonne
Reported toll
Amounts cited18 euros · 222 euros · 204 euros · 186 euros · 110 €
Highest number recorded in 41 article(s), automatically extracted: please check sources.
Further reading
People cited
Organisations cited
Go up the thread
Events in the story
- « Les Français n'arrivent plus à sortir de la pauvreté par le travail »12 Nov
- Purchasing power: Schelcher acknowledges French people "at the end of their rope"12 Nov
- Pouvoir d'achat : les Français jugent la pauvreté en hausse12 Nov
- Le Secours catholique présente son rapport annuel sur la pauvreté12 Nov
- Erasmus students recount their budget and housing struggles12 Nov
- Nice : vente aux enchères des objets non récupérés au Crédit municipal12 Nov
- A restaurant offers a kebab for €1 and triggers an uncontrollable crowd11 Nov
- Poverty: annual report from Catholic Relief in Burgundy11 Nov
- Bricolage : les enseignes misent sur les petits prix face à la baisse des ventes11 Nov
- Le défi « pas de chauffage avant décembre » refait surface sur les réseaux sociaux11 Nov
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