L'Alliance du Commerce has approached the Premier ministre, the ministers of Travail and Commerce, and all prefects to obtain emergency measures for retail outlets affected by the looting and damage that occurred on Saturdays 17 and 24 October. The trade organisation represents department stores, variety stores and clothing and footwear retailers, totalling 16,000 outlets and more than 150,000 employees in France.
The federation is asking that willing retailers be allowed to open on every Sunday in November and December 2026. Failing that, it is calling, at a minimum, for the opening of the six Sundays between 22 November, the launch date of the « Black Friday week », and 27 December. Yet two thirds of cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants do not currently authorise their shops to open from 22 November under the « dimanches du maire » scheme.
This request comes against a backdrop of a weakened market. According to the Institut français de la mode, clothing and textile sales by value fell by 15% in September 2026 compared with September 2025. According to the Habillement panel by Retail Int. carried out for L'Alliance du Commerce, activity in the sector fell by 17% nationwide in September.
Support schemes seen as too restrictive
L'Alliance du Commerce is also calling for existing support schemes to be broadened. The « Solidarité Commerce » loan and the so-called « zéro reste à charge » partial activity scheme are currently reserved for companies with fewer than 250 employees, while the Fonds supporting retailers affected by the violence is limited to businesses with fewer than 50 employees. The organisation is demanding that these schemes be opened to all affected companies, with no headcount condition, and that 100% coverage of partial activity be extended to establishments forced to close for security reasons, even in the absence of physical damage.
L'Alliance du Commerce is also asking that the routes of future demonstrations avoid the main shopping streets, and is calling on mayors to introduce initiatives to bring consumers back to city centres, such as entertainment, festive events or free parking.
« Les commerçants et leurs salariés sont les victimes de ces violences, pas leurs responsables », a déclaré Yohann Petiot, directeur général de L'Alliance du Commerce (translation: retailers and their employees are the victims of this violence, not those responsible for it).
Given how close the first deadlines are, the federation is awaiting a swift response from the government so that businesses can organise these openings under good conditions.
