Inflation: street traders face rising fuel prices

To sell her chickens on the markets, producer Olivia Quillet travels many miles. Each fill-up of his refrigerated van costs 35 euros more. “I can't pass on the price of fuel too much on meat. I pass that price on to my salary,” she explains.

Since the age of 16, Sylvia Zimmerman has been selling small toys and haberdashery. For the first time, it no longer travels to certain usual markets. “We choose the markets that are closer because the vehicles are a little expensive there. We immediately have 12, 13 liters, 15 liters per hundred,” she explains.

With its 130 exhibitors, the Saint-André-de-Cubzac market (Gironde) is one of the most famous in the department, but some places are vacant. “It’s true that there are passing traders, who are there every other Saturday,” says a regular. The biggest shop trucks do six markets a week, or hundreds of compulsory kilometers. With three vans and a heavy goods vehicle, Sébastien Bris, an oyster farmer from Charente-Maritime, sells his production as far as the east of France: "Just to go to the Gironde, I need 200 euros of diesel during the weekend. We can't do it, we take on our margins. Because if we increase our oysters, we won't sell them anymore. It's already hard for everyone."

Attendance is also down. Customers are reluctant to travel. “Usually, I come early on purpose because I'm sure I won't have to wait in line. And there, even if I arrive at 9 a.m., there are no problems at that level,” says a customer. “Yes, usually, it’s busier than that. I think the start of the school year is very difficult,” said a resident. In the second quarter of 2026, the turnover of mobile food outlets fell by 2.6%.