The BHV still closed this Thursday morning, no firm reopening date in sight

The closure continues for the BHV. The legendary Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville, located rue de Rivoli, in Paris, will not welcome customers this Thursday, November 12 in the morning.

Stopped since Monday, November 9 at 4 p.m. due to a problem with its insurance, the brand confirmed on its website an “exceptional closure” on Wednesday, November 11.

In a message addressed to employees, cited by Le Parisien, management indicates that it is continuing discussions with its insurer and the various parties involved in the matter in order to obtain “all the guarantees necessary for the resumption of operations”. If it “aims to reopen at 1 p.m.” this Thursday, however, no firm date has been announced. “We should have definitive information before 11 a.m.,” underlines management.

Placed in receivership since the beginning of November, the BHV Marais was forced to suddenly close its doors at the end of the day on Monday. Management invokes a temporary “administrative regularization” linked to an insurance problem, while the unions fear a definitive closing down. The iconic Parisian department store and its little brother in Yvelines, BHV Parly 2, have closed “as a precaution for our teams and our customers”.

In an internal message, the president of the brand, Karl-Stéphane Cottendin, clarified that “one of our insurance policies could not be transferred as part of the current legal recovery”. “We are finalizing the new [insurance] contract, which is currently being signed and will take over tomorrow,” he assures the 660 employees. According to him, this “administrative regularization” does not “call into question the continuation” of their activity.

Assurances which are not enough to allay the concerns of employees. “We just know that the insurance is not paid. But we don't know how it will happen tomorrow. Our fear is that we will be liquidated sooner than expected,” they confide.