The new measures and gauges, announced this Thursday by Jean Castex, the Prime Minister, come into force this Saturday, causing their cascade of closures.
While shopping centers of more than 20,000 m 2 were already closed, the cursor was lowered to 10,000 m 2 in the 23 departments where the virus is spreading the fastest.
And even at 5,000 m 2 in Pas-de-Calais.
The measures announced this Thursday concern 136 additional shopping centers, bringing the total to 536, according to the National Council of Shopping Centers (CNCC).
"
Click & collect
will not be authorized for shops closed in shopping centers", one indicated this Friday evening at the Ministry of the Economy.
Battle of square meters
In addition, many independent stores located outside shopping centers - but with a surface area of more than 10,000 m2 - will not be allowed to welcome customers either.
At least 115 such stores are affected by the new gauges.
45 Leroy Merlin, 35 Castorama, 9 Truffaut, 4 Brico Dépôt and 2 Décathlon must for example lower the curtain.
In total, taking all measures together since the end of January, 185 stores (furniture, DIY, gardening, sports equipment, etc.) will therefore no longer be able to open in France.
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Closure of 10,000 m2 stores: customers not all agree
The decision to carry out a round of additional closures is nevertheless a lesser evil.
According to our information, the Defense Council recommended having the curtains drawn on all stores of more than 5,000 m2 in the 23 departments at risk.
But Jacques Creyssel's arguments seem to have been successful.
The general delegate of the Federation of Commerce and Distribution (FCD) recalled that many of these brands corresponded to essential businesses that had never been closed during previous confinements.
In the end, the decision to place the gauge at 10,000 m2 made it possible to keep some of them open.