Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has strongly supported the traditional idea that shops should close on Sunday so families can spend time together, has done a bit of a turnaround on the issue.
Last year, over her objections, the national government approved Sunday shopping in a dozen ‘tourist zones” in the capital, saying it was needed to attract visitors and would create jobs.
Now, after a year of stress on Paris shops, hotels and restaurants in the wake of terror attacks and heightened tension, she has proposed allowing neighborhood shops to open 12 Sundays a year.
Hidalgo says the creation of the 12 “international tourist zones” has favored big stores and big chains who dominate retail in those areas, to the detriment of the city’s small independent stores. The federation of independent stores asked for the change, but there is still strong opposition from political parties on the left.
For a fuller review of the pros and cons in TheLocal.fr, click HERE
