Victory for Louis Vuitton Champs Elysées who has finally won the right to open Sundays, starting today, July 1.
But not for the reasons you would expect. Not because of its superb location at the angle of the most touristic and perhaps expensive street in the world and the Avenue Georges V - smack-dab in the heart of the Triangle d'Or. Not because this enables tourists to fly in for a week-end and shop till they drop-especially the Japanese.
Louis Vuitton is allowed to open because the courts have classified it as a 'Centre Culturel'. Yes, there is a browsing library as well as an exhibition space with currently, an exhibit of Philippe Starck. I imagine that 90% of the traffic will be for shopping.
As this is France, there is organized opposition to this concession. Law dictates that no more than 30% of the Champs Elysees be open on Sunday-this is still a Catholic country, and and according to the Catholic Church, Sunday is still a day of rest. But the real reason for this protection is supposedly because the smaller businesses can't afford the extra labor and will be driven out of business.
The real battle lies who between those who wish to preserve their vision of the traditional French lifestyle, and those who are trying to expand flexibility in the workplace and bring France into the 21st century.
Read about the debate
But not for the reasons you would expect. Not because of its superb location at the angle of the most touristic and perhaps expensive street in the world and the Avenue Georges V - smack-dab in the heart of the Triangle d'Or. Not because this enables tourists to fly in for a week-end and shop till they drop-especially the Japanese.
Louis Vuitton is allowed to open because the courts have classified it as a 'Centre Culturel'. Yes, there is a browsing library as well as an exhibition space with currently, an exhibit of Philippe Starck. I imagine that 90% of the traffic will be for shopping.
As this is France, there is organized opposition to this concession. Law dictates that no more than 30% of the Champs Elysees be open on Sunday-this is still a Catholic country, and and according to the Catholic Church, Sunday is still a day of rest. But the real reason for this protection is supposedly because the smaller businesses can't afford the extra labor and will be driven out of business.
The real battle lies who between those who wish to preserve their vision of the traditional French lifestyle, and those who are trying to expand flexibility in the workplace and bring France into the 21st century.
Read about the debate
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