Sunday shopping: Changes in retail trading hours in The French Riviera
Shopping on a Friday evening is just as simple as shopping on a Sunday now in the UK. This was not always the case. About 20 years ago, UK passed the Sunday trading laws. Since then, the economy has seen quite the boost due to people’s ability to shop for longer amounts of time. Paris is leading the pack of French cities now following suit. Parisian towns and cities on the French Riviera are now starting to reap the benefits of the shopping demand. Thus far, shops in Nice and Cannes have had to begin operating on Sundays.
The economic growth the UK saw from changing its trading laws was alluring enough to begin the discussion of such law changes in pockets of France. Cities within the country were losing business that came with routine tourist traffic. This was due to London’s new shopping hours.
International tourist zones are commonplace in Paris, so it only made sense that the City of Light would be among the first in France to change trading laws. The trend has caught traction and taken off in other areas. Said tourist zones were unveiled in 2015 as part of the Macron Law. The law focused on creating an economy boost in the country. It was also stated that such law changes would finally be bringing France into the “modern world”.
Tourism in itself is a substantial economy booster, and the towns and cities on the French Riviera are no exception. This fact was one of the main factors behind the ultimate decision to extend the amount of hours shops were open. Extending the hours into the night on Sunday has become the new trend.
The change in hours of operation has not gone unnoticed. Tourists and shoppers alike are thrilled by the new prospect of being able to shop longer. With the benefits of the law, there have also been criticisms. For example, one such criticism pointed out that the new regulations could have a devastating effect on work-life balance. The concern stems from the pressure that could be put on the smaller, more independent retailers. The new trading laws could lead to over-worked employees and worse, permanent store closures due to their inability to meet the demands the new hours of operation require.
Prior to the cities and towns being officially deemed tourist zones, they must pass certain inclusion criteria. An important criterion is that they must be close to transportation infrastructure. Another is that they must attract substantial numbers of non-French tourists.
I do believe that we will see this trend continue to take off throughout Paris and the whole of France. The economic benefits are enticing, bringing in more tourists and higher profit per month. However, is it worth the loss of some of the city and town businesses? This is a question that is currently still up for debate. What cannot be argued is how tourist-worthy the French Riviera is to behold. The landscape is breathtaking and the idea of shopping along such a canvas is the stuff dreams are made of.
For more information on the French Riviera and its offerings, visit www.estatenetfrance.com.
