Retailers: three extra Sunday trading days announced before Christmas

Three additional Sunday trading days before Christmas: that is the measure announced on 2 November 2026 by France’s Minister for Trade, Serge Papin, to support retailers affected by looting in October. For franchised shops, the announcement offers a trading opportunity, but dates and local conditions still need to be checked with the prefectures, which represent central government locally.

A response to disrupted Saturdays in October

Speaking on RTL radio, Serge Papin said he would ask prefects that week to issue orders allowing shops to open on three additional Sundays before Christmas. The announcement follows damage and looting on the fringes of protests against the high cost of living on Saturday 17, 24 and 31 October.

According to the report published on 2 November by L’Express Franchise, many retailers had to close during the day. They had asked for the opportunity to make up for those lost Saturdays as an important trading period approached.

The minister’s proposed measure responds to that request for additional trading time. It does not, however, oblige shops to open: each retailer remains free to decide whether to use the opportunity. For franchisees, this means making a decision at shop level, based on their own circumstances and those of their team.

Dates to be confirmed in each department

The schedule will not be the same across France. According to details reported by L’Express Franchise, prefectural orders will specify the Sundays selected in each department, a local administrative area. The ministerial announcement alone is therefore not enough to set a shop’s opening hours.

Between 2 November and Christmas, seven Sundays remain: 8, 15, 22 and 29 November, followed by 6, 13 and 20 December. The three additional days announced must fall within this period, depending on local decisions.

The announced scheme is separate from the usual schedule of Sunday openings authorised by mayors. Under those standard arrangements, municipalities can authorise up to twelve Sunday trading days a year, with the dates selected and published before 1 January.

For franchisees, the first practical step is therefore to consult their prefecture’s decision before telling customers they will be opening. A national announcement should not be confused with a local authorisation already in force, or with an individual shop’s decision to open to the public.

Staffing arrangements to prepare with teams

Sunday opening also requires clarity about the applicable working conditions. L’Express Franchise notes that, for Sundays authorised by the mayor, only employees who volunteer and give written consent may work. Employees cannot be penalised for refusing. Those who work are entitled to at least double pay for the day, as well as compensatory time off.

These details explicitly concern Sundays authorised by municipalities. They do not establish all the conditions of the announced prefectural scheme. Before drawing up rotas, operators should therefore check the rules governing their particular authorisation, rather than automatically applying the rules of one scheme to another.

Franchisees can prepare with support from their network, while taking account of decisions made at departmental level. The immediate task is practical: establish the authorised dates, organise staffing and publish opening hours only once these points are clear.

Support alongside other assistance

The minister has not ruled out allowing more than three additional Sundays. Any such extension would, however, need to be negotiated with trade unions and employers’ organisations. At this stage, it is therefore a possibility under discussion, not a confirmed set of further trading days.

The announcement also accompanies assistance from France’s economy and finance ministry for retailers whose premises were looted. Among these measures, L’Express Franchise mentions an interest-free loan of up to €50,000 from Bpifrance, France’s public investment bank.

Key takeaway for franchisees: check the prefectural order, confirm the applicable working conditions and assess whether opening is worthwhile before announcing new hours. The three Sundays represent an announced option, not automatic opening for every shop.