[France24] As France began to exit its strict coronavirus lockdown on Monday, many of its luxury brands also opened their doors, giving sanitary protocols a makeover and testing people’s appetite for splurging after a shutdown that has rocked economies worldwide."It’s a bit an act of faith today," said Edouard Lefebvre, who heads the business district on the Champs-Elysées avenue, packed with crowds of locals and foreign tourists in normal times.
Only half of the avenue’s shops were open Monday, Lefebvre said, reflecting the extensive preparations needed to safely receive customers and the hesitant steps many people took toward pre-pandemic routines.
"Clients won’t come back on day one. It takes time to get used to coming back to the Champs-Elysees, to come back to Paris," Lefebvre said in an interview with the Associated Press.
Still, pictures of long lines standing outside luxury stores, posted on social media later in the day, suggested many shoppers were willing to take the plunge.
"[C]ustomers seemingly ready to shop until they drop and consume like there is no tomorrow are queuing in front of the flagship of flagships, namely the Louis Vuitton Champs Elysées boutique," commented one Twitter user in a social media post.