Sundays for me have always been about relaxing whilst indulging in my hobby, shopping. I love to shop and do it no matter what mood I am in; happy, sad, angry or excited. For me, shopping solves everything, but sadly this came to an end when I moved to the Riviera. The French like to shut up shop on a Sunday.
When moving to the Côte d’Azur, I was alarmed to discover that the shops weren’t open on a Sunday and their opening hours mid-week were far from convenient. Coming from a city background of Sydney and London where you can shop seven days a week and almost 24 hours a day if the mood calls (and it usually does), this was a huge culture shock and something that even after two years. I struggle with it on a daily basis. For someone who works full time, having to fit all your errands in on a Saturday is almost impossible!
However, a new initiative in the government this week could see shops in specific tourist zones throughout cities such as Nice, Cannes, Paris and Deauville be permitted to open every Sunday of the year. The new bill will not only make it possible to shop on Sundays, but also for businesses to be open until midnight, seven days of the week.
The changes are a dramatic move for France, which has traditionally shied away from embracing the consumer culture of places like the U.K. Finance Minister Emmanuel Macron announced the proposal, saying it is time for France to ‘enter the modern world’. The Riviera in particular, with its designer seafronts and shopping outlets, will definitely benefit as it will almost certainly help kick start the region’s economy and create more jobs.
We here at Real Riviera are thrilled at the prospect of an additional 52 shopping days per year, allowing us to spend more hours deciding what we should buy next! Yes to Sunday shopping!
