The sales will last another week until August 1 and traders will be able to open this Sunday, the government announced on Wednesday, hoping to help traders whose business has been affected by the riots.
“We are going to extend the sales (from July 25, editor’s note) until August 1,” said Minister Delegate for Trade Olivia Grégoire during an interview on France 2.
Another measure, “the prefects will receive an instruction so that all traders who wish to open this Sunday can do so to catch up in particular with last weekend”.
The first two weekends of the sales – which began on June 28 – are indeed considered by professionals as decisive for the success of the commercial operation.
The riots linked to the death of Nahel “brought a sudden halt to sales activity” for large retailers, which fell from 8% of turnover last Wednesday to 4.1% over the first five days compared to 2022, noted the Trade Alliance on Tuesday.
The Paris region “records the worst results”, with an overall drop of -2% in turnover on this first part of the sales, according to the same source.
Yohann Petiot, general manager of the Alliance du Commerce, one of the two main clothing federations, welcomed Wednesday the proposal to open next Sunday but asks that “the prefectures be” reactive “for a” rapid “implementation. because “it’s already the 5th of July”.
“It would be great if we had another image (than that of the violence), that of a dynamic France”, with the stores in full swing, he told AFP.
As for the other major clothing federation, the FNH, its president Pierre Talamon is less enthusiastic. The extension of the sales “can only help those whose stores have been vandalized, for the others, it’s grated, it doesn’t change anything”, also in a context of inflation.
The FNH requests the establishment of partial unemployment “for the coming quarter as well as that of a” solidarity fund “for traders forced to close.
Olivia Grégoire has confirmed support measures on the insurance side. “I asked that the reporting period, which is normally five days when you have a claim, be increased to thirty days. I thank the insurers who accepted,” she said.
The minister said that she had also obtained, for the most affected independent traders, that “the deductibles be lowered, on a case-by-case basis”, and also requested rapid compensation.
At the same time, it will be possible to spread the tax or social debt and “in the most serious cases of very affected traders”, cancellations of charges may be provided, she assured.
“Just over 1,000 businesses were directly affected by the riots”, including more than 400 tobacconists, 400 bank branches, 200 food stores but also hundreds of sports shops, opticians, pharmacists, independents, many looted, “some completely destroyed, others just the glass, but it’s a trauma”, according to the minister.
Ms. Grégoire specified that the damage will amount “possibly to a few hundred million euros”.
As a final measure, the Minister announced that she had asked two psychological support associations, Apaisa and Amarok, to accompany the advisers at the end of the crisis to take charge of traders free of charge, in particular in the three most affected regions, Ile-de- -France, Auvergne Rhône-Alpes and Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur.
“This is the first time that traders have told me, we would need a little psychological support”, “for the moment most do not get up”, she confided.
“For three days I have had men and women in tears in my arms who tell me, Madam Minister, I do not know if I will reopen. They are upset, flabbergasted and for some extremely dejected”, a- she lamented about the affected traders.
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07/05/2023 12:31:57 – Paris (AFP) – © 2023 AFP