This time, Denis Moreau will not be able to cut it.
Last January, the manager of the Leclerc hypermarket in Plessis-Belleville (Oise) and its shopping mall stepped up to the plate when the shopping centers of more than 20,000 square meters were closed.
While the prefecture was based on the total area of the store, the director had succeeded in convincing the authorities not to take into account the office areas and the reserves of his brand.
A few days later, it was the Jeu de Paume in Beauvais but also the Auchan in Nogent-sur-Oise who exploited this administrative breach to keep their galleries open.
Those of Carrefour de Venette and Cora de Saint-Maximin remained closed.
Hypermarkets and bakeries are spared
But after the announcements of Jean Castex this Thursday evening concerning the closure of surfaces of more than 10,000 square meters, these businesses will not be able, this time, to escape it.
In addition to these five brands, eight other shopping malls - thirteen in total
(infographic below)
- will have to close their doors this Saturday morning.
A measure that applies at least until March 21 for non-food businesses.
Hypermarkets, bakeries and pharmacies will remain open.
In addition to these five brands, eight other shopping malls, thirteen in total *, will have to close their doors with immediate effect, as of this Saturday morning.
"I have not stopped running to the right, to the left, it's still quite an organization", breathes Denis Moreau, at Plessis-Belleville.
There, only the chocolatier and the pharmacy should remain open among the thirty or so shops in the gallery.
As elsewhere, the hypermarket will remain open.
At the time of the first closure in January, rumors of a global closure had nevertheless run, causing the loss of part of its turnover at the store.
“This time, we are going to make a specific communication so that everything is clear.
"
Faced with the epidemic, "there is no need to compromise"
In Pont-Sainte-Maxence, the Leclerc is also one of the shopping areas affected by this new decree.
In a territory heavily affected by Covid-19, the mayor (LR) of the town sees it as a necessary evil.
At the beginning of the week, Arnaud Dumontier had also made the forcing to obtain a vaccination center, which the regional health agency (ARS) ended up granting him.
"The gallery will close except for the pharmacy," explains the city councilor.
In the health situation in our country, we must unfortunately do everything to reverse the dynamic, there is no need to compromise.
"
At the Leclerc center, the information was still unclear this Friday in the middle of the afternoon.
"It's very complicated to manage but you get used to the complications", commented soberly to the management.
During the first wave of closure, in January, the town hall of Beauvais had worked on alternatives for the traders of the Jeu de Paume, in the meantime authorized to reopen.
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"We have relatively little empty retail space in the city center, but we are going to reactivate certain solutions, such as premises that can be used for click & collect," explains Charles Loquet, elected in charge of shops.
Apple was particularly interested in its after-sales service.
The city is also considering a permanent shared store that could allow a quick reaction in this kind of situation.
"I always prefer that to confinement"
Because on the side of the traders, it is the soup with the grimace.
“We were already in agony after the first confinement, then we had the episode of the closure before reopening, we are completely lost, plague the manager of a store at Auchan Nogentais.
It's unbearable to be warned at the last minute every time.
At the end of a year of crisis, we expect a minimum of anticipation.
"
A vagueness in the announcements which also surprises Philippe Enjolras, the president of the chamber of commerce and industry.
"It's astonishing, we have already experienced two similar episodes from which we do not seem to have learned any lessons," he says.
Even if one could expect such measures, given the sizes of certain commercial surfaces in the department.
"
If he is not satisfied with these announcements, the person in charge of the consular chamber tries to draw the positive from them.
"It is absolutely a shame for the traders concerned, but I always prefer that to a confinement as known in Pas-de-Calais, which would have affected all businesses, including those in the city center, he develops.
Perhaps even these small businesses will be able to recover some of the customers of the shopping malls.
"
