Sephora has closed all its stores in France following significant looting and vandalism during recent protests, affecting approximately 1,500 retail businesses nationwide. The closures began at 5 PM on Saturday and continued through Sunday to ensure the safety of employees and customers.
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Several luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and Christian Dior Parfums, faced similar attacks, while Galeries Lafayette reported extensive damage across its locations. Carrefour estimates that repair costs could exceed €10 million due to damage at 50 of its stores. Industry representatives caution that overall retail losses could amount to several hundred million euros, prompting the French government to discuss potential financial support with retailers, banks, and insurers.
This situation underscores the financial and operational risks faced by beauty and luxury retailers during civil unrest. Store closures, inventory losses, and property damage pose significant threats to sales performance, supply chain stability, and consumer confidence, especially as the holiday shopping season approaches.