France keeps Galeries Lafayette and Printemps closed till mid-July

Department stores and shopping centres of over 40,000 sqm in the Île-de-France region around Paris, like Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, have to remain closed until at least 10 July.

Too great a risk

The biggest Parisian department stores will have to keep their doors shut for two more months. The rule affects both large department stores (such as Galeries Lafayette and Printemps) and shopping centres (like Beaugrenelle and Italie 2). It is a major setback for all retailers involved, as the French government had said earlier that even the largest of retailers would be allowed to reopen by 11 May.

The region around Paris, however, is now kept under closer lockdown as it is thought to be in greater risk of spreading the new coronavirus. “The opening of Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, both located on or around the Boulevard Haussmann, would only stimulate the spread of the coronavirus in these circumstances, and therefore put the lives of the population at risk”, the Parisian police prefecture explained its decision.