Business in 1985 : a good year for hypermarkets In 1985, business benefitted from the recovery in consumption and investment. After two years of decline, the volume of sales began to grow. Salaried employment, which had decreased in 1984, climbed in October, 1985 to its January, 1984 level. Investments also advanced while signs concordant with an improvement of financial situations were clearly perceptible. Growth of activity, however, was limited and competition remained fierce in retail trade. Hypermarkets won a larger share of the market to the detriment of specialized businesses, department stores and mail-order sales. Among large stores, hypermarkets, for the first time, clearly advanced more quickly than supermarkets.En 1 985, le comm...