France's looting damage could hit hundreds of millions of euros, retailers warn

A weekend of looting across France has left luxury and mass-market retailers counting damage that Alexandre Bompard, chief executive of Carrefour, estimates at several hundred million euros across the sector. Bompard is also president of the Federation of Commerce and Retail, the FCD, which put the number of affected businesses above 1,500.

The looting followed demonstrations against the cost of living, in which groups took advantage of the protests to target shops in Paris and other French cities. The student blockade of the Louvre on Monday morning, by around 50 students from the École du Louvre, was distinct from the looting and kept the museum shut.

On Avenue Montaigne the Celine boutique was looted, while the windows of Louis Vuitton and Jil Sander were damaged. On Boulevard de la Madeleine the windows of Kenzo, Salomon and Arc'teryx were smashed and merchandise was taken from inside.

On Rue Saint-Honoré, Burberry, Christian Dior Perfumes, Goyard, Graff and Louis Vuitton were among the boutiques left with damaged windows. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the parent of Celine, Christian Dior, Kenzo and Louis Vuitton, declined to comment on the extent of the damage.

The boutiques hit across France

Celine is a Paris luxury house founded in 1945 and known for ready-to-wear, leather goods and a minimalist aesthetic. Louis Vuitton is the French fashion house renowned for leather goods, ready-to-wear, accessories and footwear. Both are owned by LVMH.

The damage was not confined to luxury fashion. Looters stole watches during an incursion at the BHV department store, according to AFP. Contemporary and premium names were hit in other cities, with The Kooples, Hugo Boss and Lancel among the boutiques looted in Lyon.

Sephora, Etam and Alain Afflelou stores were also reported damaged and looted, alongside sportswear retailers, electronics shops and supermarkets in locations across the country. Carrefour itself put its own repair costs at more than €10 million, according to Economic Times Luxury.

Bompard wrote on LinkedIn that the day of demonstrations had serious consequences for many businesses, calling the acts unacceptable and warning that for some merchants the vandalism could be the final straw after successive crises and falling foot traffic as sales move online.

Compensation and the state response

In a BFMTV interview he said it was too early to assess the extent of the damage accurately, while pointing to significant consequences for businesses already trading through a difficult environment. He called for accelerated compensation and warned employees at the hardest-hit franchise stores could be forced into partial unemployment.

"The state must protect its shopkeepers," Bompard said, demanding a firm response to those responsible. President Emmanuel Macron struck the same note in a Sunday night address to the nation, promising the government would be uncompromising toward rioters and calling for an exemplary judicial response.

"Those who have destroyed must pay; those who have looted must make restitution," Macron said. He added that prefects would work with mayors to protect cities, public buildings and businesses, and that those decisions would be taken in coordination with local authorities.

Trade Minister Serge Papin met representatives of retailers, trade federations, artisans, restaurateurs, banks and insurers on Monday to discuss the damage and measures to help affected businesses recover. Afterwards his office promised that the state would back businesses and that more support measures would be unveiled shortly.

The tourism sector also reported disruption. Valentin Prudon, vice-president of the Union of Hotel and Restaurant Trades and Industries, said some establishments had seen cancellations while others closed in anticipation of the demonstrations, and the unrest could weigh on France's image as a tourist destination.

Events go ahead under guard

We reported earlier on looting that hit Louis Vuitton, Céline and Decathlon as unrest spread across France, and the scale here is wider: more than 1,500 businesses across the whole retail sector, from luxury houses to supermarkets.

Art Basel Paris still opens on Monday night, with a dinner hosted by Apple for the Designers of Tomorrow, an open house at Dover Street Market Paris, and Miu Miu's annual exhibition set for Tuesday morning. Organisers said the events go ahead with heightened security.

Anti-ram barriers have been installed around the Grand Palais to block unauthorised vehicles from the site and adjacent pedestrian areas, with additional personnel patrolling the fair's perimeter 24 hours a day. Organisers said they work with a private security company and, where necessary, the Paris Police Prefecture.

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Images: French retail sector