Five weeks into strikes crippling French transport, Emile Sebbag is agonizing over how to keep afloat his two Parisian clothing stores, deserted by shoppers as the backlash against France's pension reform drags on.
The start of winter sales on Wednesday — traditionally a big event for French retailers — is unlikely to make up for a dismal Christmas period, when he took home half of what he'd projected, Sebbag said, echoing growing alarm among retailers as travelers face more chaos this month.
"It's been hell since December," Sebbag said. One of his stores, where he sells jeans, hoodies and handbags by midprice brands like Guess and Replay, is particularly dependent on commuters in the basement of Paris' Les Halles shopping center, which is built around a major local train and metro terminal.