Louis Vuitton, Celine, Decathlon and Apple Looted as France Reels From Hundreds of Millions in Damage

A Louis Vuitton boutique in Marseille was among the luxury stores looted during France's nationwide protests on Saturday, 17 October. In Paris, a Celine boutique on Avenue Montaigne, one of the capital's main luxury shopping streets, was ransacked. A Decathlon sports store in Bordeaux was looted and set on fire, while Apple stores in Bordeaux and Lille were also hit.

Alexandre Bompard, chief executive of supermarket group Carrefour and president of the Fédération du commerce et de la distribution, the trade body representing major French retailers, put the number of affected businesses at about 1,500. He estimated the losses at hundreds of millions of euros, although the final cost had yet to be established.

The looting followed demonstrations over the cost of living, public services and conditions in schools. Hundreds of thousands joined marches across France, while groups of masked individuals broke into shops and public buildings in several cities.

Luxury and High-Street Stores Hit

Bordeaux's Rue Sainte-Catherine, one of the city's main shopping streets, saw attacks on several major retailers. Apple, Decathlon, Galeries Lafayette and Intersport were among the businesses targeted. The Decathlon store was looted and subsequently set on fire, with flames spreading to the building's façade.

The violence extended beyond luxury goods and electronics. Carrefour reported that 50 stores had been affected, including 19 convenience stores and supermarkets that were looted. Affected locations included Paris, Rennes, Lille and Bordeaux.

Smaller retailers also suffered damage, including forced entry, broken shopfronts and stolen merchandise.

Retail Federation Estimates Losses in Hundreds of Millions

Bompard's estimate put the damage to French businesses in the hundreds of millions of euros. It was an early assessment rather than a final accounting, with a complete breakdown of losses by retailer, city and type of damage unavailable on Sunday, 18 October.

Carrefour separately expected repair costs for its affected stores to exceed €10 million (£8.4 million). That figure concerned the group's own premises, rather than the nationwide losses estimated by the federation.

Bompard also warned that some badly damaged stores faced prolonged closures. Dozens of employees working for Carrefour's franchise partners would be placed on short-time working, reducing their hours because of the disruption.

Protests Turn Violent as Arrests Rise

France's Interior Ministry estimated that about 550,000 people took part in demonstrations on Saturday, while organisers put attendance at about 800,000. Students, trade unions and other demonstrators protested over living costs and public services.

Many marches were peaceful, but violence broke out in several cities, including Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon and Marseille. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said on Sunday that about 1,800 people had been arrested following the unrest.

Authorities blamed radical groups and looters for the violence, while the government condemned attacks on businesses and public buildings. In Limoges, a fire severely damaged the historic town hall.

Retailers Face Closures and Repair Bills

Retailers were assessing damage and determining when affected premises could reopen. Galeries Lafayette said its stores would reopen on Monday morning, except for Bordeaux, where reopening was planned for Monday afternoon.

Bompard called for faster compensation procedures for affected businesses as retailers faced repair bills, lost stock and interrupted trading. Retail organisations also sought measures to help businesses recover from the damage.

The government scheduled a meeting for Monday, 19 October, to assess the losses and discuss support measures. For affected retailers, the immediate priorities were securing damaged premises, restoring trading and establishing the extent of their losses.