Another additional measure, revealed by the Minister Delegate for SMEs this Wednesday 5th July 2023: the possibility for traders to open this Sunday 9th July 2023.
More than a thousand businesses were affected by the riots following the death of Nahel and the disastrous turnover in the middle of the sales period. This is the assessment of the riots for traders, put forward by Olivia Grégoire, Minister Delegate in charge of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Crafts.
Also, to prevent businesses from being even more penalised, the summer sales will be extended for a week, announced the minister, guest of the morning show of France 2 this Wednesday, July 5, 2023.
Until 1st August 2023
Normally, the summer sales would take place this year from Wednesday 28th June to Tuesday 25th July 2023. The sales started only the day after the death of young Nahel in Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine).
Also, by adding an extra week for merchants and their customers, the promotion period will finally last until the 1st August 2023. “The first two weekends of the sales are super important”, justified Olivia Grégoire.
The possibility of opening this Sunday
Another additional measure, revealed by the Minister Delegate for SMEs: is the possibility for traders to open this Sunday 9th July 2023.
“At the request of traders – and I referred this to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, we are going to allow traders who wish to open this Sunday to make up for this [lost] week”, confirmed Olivia Grégoire.
Hundreds of millions of euros in damage
In total, out of the more than a thousand shops vandalised by the riots, there are more than 400 tobacco bars “attacked”, hundreds of bank branches, 200 food stores including “the Aldi chain”, sports stores, opticians, pharmacists and “a few hundred independent traders”, listed Olivia Grégoire.
“We are on a few hundred million euros in damages”, according to the minister, silencing the rumour of a billion euros in damages mentioned by the Medef. Of course, an amount which remains substantial, “but the majority of businesses are insured, so it is the insurance that will work”.
No official figure has been released regarding the exact amount of damage. “We are in full recovery” on the ground, concluded Olivia Grégoire.
Psychological support
Finally, Olivia Grégoire’s latest announcement: psychological support for traders affected by urban violence. “In the field, for the first time I had traders who asked the State for psychological support” and not just financial support, confided the minister.
“How to get up after that [the riots, Ed.]? We don’t get up. For three days I have had men and women in tears who do not know if they will be able to reopen or not.”
