Paris 2024 Olympics: Cristalline, San Pellegrino, Magnum… these brands that saw their sales explode during the Games

Les JO de Paris 2024 ont permis une hausse des ventes de produits de grande consommation. MAXPPP – LP/ARNAUD DUMONTIER – Photo prise depuis le musée des arts décoratifs.

The Olympic Games benefited consumer goods – food, cleaning, hygiene – and self-service fresh products, whose sales increased significantly during the period, especially in Paris, according to a NielsenIQ study published Monday.

During the first two weeks of the Olympic Games, the volume of sales of consumer goods increased in Paris by 11% compared to the same period the previous year; by 8.3% if we include the inner suburbs and by 4.4% in total nationally.

An increase in sales in several sectors

"This is not a slow evolution that reached its peak during the Olympic Games, but rather an exceptional episode of growth in the Ile-de-France region, and even more so in Paris", explained David Lecomte, consumer expert at NielsenIQ, to AFP. The panelist also noted that this growth was stronger for the Paris Olympic Games than for those in London in 2012, which had recorded a 5.3% increase in these products in the British capital.

Large and medium-sized stores in the Paris region experienced “two record weeks”, generating 482 million euros in sales (compared to 459 million euros the previous year at the same time). This windfall effect also benefited convenience stores, whose sales jumped by 7.9% in value in Paris and 4.5% in the Paris suburbs.

NielsenIQ notes that the Olympic Games benefited retailers and distributors close to the competition sites more, with sales increases in value of 18.5% in the Olympic zones and 15.5% near them.

Beverage consumption on the rise

Beverages recorded a sharp increase in Paris (in consumption units: + 50 % of still waters, + 51 % of still drinks without alcohol, + 35 % of carbonated drinks without alcohol, + 59 % of sparkling waters, + 1 8% for beers). Ice creams, with an increase of 100%, are in the lead.

Consequently, “liquid brands are those that have benefited the most from the Olympic/weather combo”, such as San Pellegrino (+76% in consumption units), Cristalline (+59%), Vittel (+65%) or Magnum on the ice cream side (+87%), the panelist continues.

But the big winners are the sprayers, whose number of units sold has increased by 320% in Parisian stores during the period.