Paris businesses board up stores as protests threaten retail and tourism activity

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Paris protests impact businesses

Highlights

French authorities deploy about 70,000 police nationwide as Paris braces for protests, with luxury retailers like Dior and Louis Vuitton boarding up flagship stores.
About 1,500 businesses were targeted in previous unrest, prompting major Paris landmarks such as the Louvre, Grand Palais, and Musée d'Orsay to close and reimburse reservations.
U.S. Embassy in France issues warnings for visitors amid ongoing curfews and demonstrations, affecting retail, tourism, and major events like the October 25 NFL game in Paris.

Security measures across Paris retail districts

As reported by Business Insider, French authorities expect hundreds of thousands of protesters to take to the streets on Saturday, while the interior ministry says it is increasing police deployment to about 70,000 officers nationwide.

In Paris, shops on the Champs-Élysées are boarded up ahead of the weekend, including luxury retailers such as Dior, Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Moncler. Military officers and a multipurpose intervention vehicle are also visible outside the National Assembly building on Saturday morning, underscoring the level of security preparation.

Business leaders are condemning the damage linked to the previous weekend's unrest. Alexandre Bompard, chief executive of Carrefour, says about 1,500 businesses were targeted in the earlier vandalism, while Lacoste CEO Thierry Guibert says violence cannot be allowed to destroy what generations have built.

Tourism closures and wider economic disruption

Some shop owners in central Paris are also boarding up their premises as a precaution, particularly after violence in areas including the Marais shopping district and Place de la République. One Paris shopkeeper says looters had "taken everything" during last weekend's unrest.

Major visitor sites are also shutting their doors for the day. The Louvre says on its website that it is closing on Saturday and reimbursing all reservations, while the Grand Palais and Musée d'Orsay are also closed.

The disruption extends beyond retail and tourism sites. The U.S. Embassy in France warns Americans to avoid demonstrations and says curfews across the country, including in some Paris neighborhoods, may continue, while also urging caution for visitors attending the NFL game in Paris on Sunday, October 25. Protests are also expected across other European countries including Italy, Spain, Portugal and Albania.

In our earlier article on France’s budget deficit and bond-market pressure, we examined how political uncertainty and rising borrowing costs were shaking investor confidence in French public finances. We also noted the risk of spillover into broader markets as OAT yields climbed to multi-decade highs, with policymakers arguing that fiscal consolidation remains achievable without austerity.

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