Luxury brands can now open on Sunday in France, although it is only possible in several tourist areas. They will now be able to open their doors on Sunday 26 times every year.
Only voluntarily
The new legislation was signed in April and became law last week. Several major brands like Chanel, Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton are part of the agreement, which includes some 30 brands and about 100 stores. Not only stores, but shop-in-shops in several department stores are also part of the new rule.
Companies will get to decide whether they will open on Sunday and they cannot force employees to work on Sunday, as that will remain a voluntary choice. Employees who do so, will get double wages and the company will pay their share of the costs related to child care or dependent elders.
Parisian Avenue Montaigne is one of the tourist areas mentioned in the legislation, declared by the French government in the summer of 2015.
BHV-Marais is currently the only major department store that has struck a deal with labour unions and will therefore be opened every Sunday in July. Galeries Lafayette has no such deal in place, but negotiations will resume shortly.
