Deprived of their Saturdays by the demonstrations, Bordeaux traders are demanding an exemption to open on Sundays

For the third consecutive Saturday, this October 31, demonstrations against the high cost of living will shake up the city centers of metropolises in France. In Bordeaux, where businesses had already suffered significant operating losses due to the Saumos megafire this summer, the decline in turnover is accumulating. For businesses, which were hoping for a mild late season to make up for it, the situation is catastrophic. The shops, if they have not been looted, are mostly closed on Saturdays to avoid excesses. As for those that remain open, they notice a drastic drop in attendance on this day when money usually comes into the coffers. And for good reason: customers avoid city centers agitated by thugs, looters and clashes between demonstrators and the CRS against a backdrop of tear gas grenades being fired. To combat the phenomenon, Renaissance MP Alexandra Martin (Gironde) called on the Minister of Labor and Solidarity, Jean-Pierre Farandou, this Tuesday.

She is asking for an exceptional exemption so that Bordeaux businesses can open on Sundays, unless they can work properly the day before. “For many of these businesses, the months of November and December are essential. They can represent up to 40% of annual turnover. The losses recorded in recent weeks therefore risk having lasting consequences on their cash flow, their sustainability and, ultimately, local employment,” argues the elected official. The Gironde MP thus relays the request presented by Michel Picon, the president of the U2P. According to the first assessment presented by the CCI France on Tuesday, the cost of the damage caused by the demonstrations of October 17 is already estimated at more than a billion euros. An amount already higher than that of the damage caused by the riots following the death of Nahel, in June 2023.