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The French government approves Sunday store openings until Christmas at the request of retailers affected by protests

Riana Gegiu

29 October 2026, 13:19

International

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The French government has approved the opening of stores on Sundays until Christmas to help retailers affected by the violence and destruction during demonstrations over the past two weekends, AFP reports.

The decision was made after representatives of the retail sector requested a temporary exemption from rules governing Sunday store operations. Retailers say the protests caused significant losses by reducing customer numbers, damaging some commercial premises and disrupting business in several areas.

The measure is intended to give stores an opportunity to recover some of their lost revenue before the winter holidays, one of the most important sales periods. Sunday openings will be allowed until Christmas, although their implementation may depend on conditions set by local authorities and individual retailers.

The announcement comes amid tensions generated by demonstrations held over the past two weekends, which affected economic activity in several French localities. Authorities have not yet provided details on the total number of retailers that will benefit from the measure or the value of the losses recorded.

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Context: Following the violence and looting in France, the government prepared security measures and economic support for the affected areas

France was facing demonstrations that had degenerated into clashes, looting, and arson in several cities, while the authorities reported arrests and hundreds of people being brought before the courts. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced partial and localized movement restrictions through the prefectures and left open the possibility of exceptional measures (including a state of emergency), while preferring targeted interventions.

At the same time, the government prepared support for affected businesses: from a later date, companies would have been able to resort to temporary technical unemployment, while a special fund was to provide financial support to traders. In parallel, Macron insisted that those responsible for the destruction and looting must be held accountable before the law, while the Senate subsequently approved a bill allowing riot participants to be required to pay compensation of up to 10,000 euros for damages.