The sky is clearing up a bit for small traders: the reopening of stores deemed non-essential could come sooner than expected.
Asked about Cnews, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, declared that he was working, with the representatives of the federations, on a “
health protocol for all businesses and all large retailers
”.
The latter must be concluded on Friday, operational "
next Monday
" and could allow a resumption of activity in the coming days.
To read also: Containment: entered into "resistance", traders refuse to close their shop
"
The reopening is more a matter of days than weeks
", said the minister, adding that "
the epidemic peak is behind us
".
This positive development in the health situation could therefore make it possible to “
open as soon as possible
”.
"
Once we have this health protocol on the table, the conditions for reopening will be met, assuming that the epidemic continues to ebb,
" he said.
The reopening could thus take place by the end of November, “
on December 1 at the latest
”.
The shops could then welcome customers for the weekend of November 27, crucial for professionals.
As the Christmas holidays approach, "
this weekend has a triple count, it has not escaped me
," concedes the Minister of the Economy.
Especially since this November 27 will also be held on Black Friday, this vast promotional operation imported from the United States.
The minister thus responds to a request made by traders on Thursday evening, as announced by the President of the French Council of Commerce, William Koeberlé, at Le Figaro.
“
We are asking for a reopening on November 27.
The pure players are gorging themselves while we are closed
”, recalled a little earlier this morning on RFI Francis Palombi, president of the Confederation of traders of France.
The shops want to be open for the vast promotional operation of Black Friday.
“
We can't see big brands practicing Black Friday while we wait patiently when we've been closed for weeks.
We could go down to the street if we are not heard
”, annoyed the representative of the small traders.
An opening on November 27 would also allow Christmas shopping to be spread over two weekends instead of one, he adds.
Other voices have also spoken out for an earlier resumption of activity.
This is particularly the case of Valérie Pécresse.
Guest of BFMTV-RMC, the president of the Île-de-France region indicated that traders "
want help, [...] but what they want above all is to rework
".
She thus calls for the reopening of shops from November 27.
The boss of the capital region also called for authorizing "
additional working hours
" for shops: "
if these traders want to work until 10 p.m. - the time of the curfew in Paris - if they want to work on Sunday, we have to let them do it.
We must stop this bureaucratic state that wants to control everything
, ”she insisted.
She also pleaded for the establishment of a "
reinforced [health] protocol, accompanied by territorialized exceptions
".
On the Amazon side, the CEO approves this solution.
“
I want local shops to reopen as quickly as possible.
I would love if they could do it on November 27th.
I support small businesses.
Moreover, many entrepreneurs and traders sell through Amazon
”, defends Frédéric Duval, general manager of Amazon France.
The e-commerce giant is, in fact, directly targeted by small traders who accuse it of taking advantage of the situation and calls on it to postpone Black Friday if they cannot reopen.
"
I'm waiting to see how things evolve,
" replied the manager.
“
The French are waiting for this date to prepare for Christmas.
Manufacturers have prepared stocks in anticipation,
”he also affirms.
Uncertainty for restaurants
Bruno Le Maire also defended the battery of aid put in place to support establishments suffering from the crisis and containment.
"
I want all the rents for the month of November to be canceled, with a 50% tax credit
," he said, citing the device unveiled last Thursday which encourages lessors to abandon the rents of merchants.
Bruno Le Maire also reiterated that professionals having a tax dispute with the administration still had the right to aid, "
as long as the dispute is not settled by justice
", in the name of the "
principle of presumption of innocence
".
The Minister of the Economy also spoke out against criticism relating to the exceptional increase in the state debt since the start of the crisis.
"
The choice was to let the employees die, to have almost all the businesses that go bankrupt [...] and we did not spend a euro of public money, or the choice that was made: we will pay what 'it will take to save our employees
,' he lost his temper.
He defended a "
good choice
", believing that the government had "
acted well, at the right time
".
Growth, rigorous management of public accounts and the “
transformation
” of the country via reforms - including pension reform - will make it possible to repay the debt, Bruno Le Maire repeated.
"
As soon as we deconfine and let the French consume again, immediately, growth jumps, it's the geyser,
" he said.
Still, restaurant owners and bar managers see the hope of a rapid recovery melting like snow in the sun.
"
We must give them visibility quickly,
" said the boss of Bercy, before specifying that he would provide them with details "
in the coming days
" on the date of reopening of their establishments.
He did not wish to come forward as to a potential date of resumption, explaining that he had "
not the answer
" on their opening or not for the Christmas holidays.
A reflection must be carried out by the end of the year, but the minister said he “
wanted
” the restaurants to be open by the beginning of February.
The horizon therefore remains very blurry for these professionals, for whom a recovery on December 1 is "
not conceivable
".
It will therefore be necessary to fret before going again for a drink on the terrace.
