If downtown shops, said “not essential“, hope a resumption of activity as of May 11, the signs of the shopping centers have no prospect of reopening, for the moment. They are worried and their anger is mounting against the managers of the centers who still demand payment of rents, while the stores have been closed since the containment began on March 16.
60,000 jobs threatened
In a column published this Tuesday in Les Echos, 180 leaders of distribution groups, franchisees, brands and federations, ask donors to “take part in the collective effort to save 2.6 million commercial jobs“and”cancellation of rents during the closing period“shops. The signatory collective estimates that 50,000 stores and restaurants could be shut down and more than 60,000 workers lose their jobs.
Among the signatories, Roland Beaumanoir, eponymous founder of the textile group in Saint-Malo (Cache-Cache, Bonobo, Vib’s, Bréal and Morgan…). Two other Breton groups have also signed this tribune Bris Rocher, CEO of the Yves Rocher and Petit Bateau group or Antoine Barreau, CEO of Le Brioche Dorée and Pizza del Arte.
I’m at war with these profiteers
Roland Beaumanoir also sent a letter to the president of the Regional Council of Brittany Loïg Chesnais-Girard. In the latter, he denounces “lthe unfair position of certain donors, often the most important property companies. “
“I am at war against these profiteers who only offer solutions, where they only postpone their financial income at the cost of resounding bankruptcies among traders and their employees. (…) I am a business manager, in this capacity, I do not have to show any anger but my role consists in leading a fight against those who want my death and that of my employees. Yes there will be financial damage – and here I salute the behavior of the banks which support us like never -, and above all social damage, it is not enough to say that the State will take care of unemployment as always… “
They must show social exemplarity
A request relayed by the President of the Region, who immediately wrote to the Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire. “If we want to succeed, everyone must contribute to the effort and play the game of solidarity. It is therefore particularly indecent that certain financial groups, donors, land companies, grouped together within the National Council of Shopping Centers, do no effort to abandon the rents requested from merchants and restaurants located in their shopping centers and corresponding to the closing period. They must show social exemplarity and not ask for rents from closed shops “, writes Loïg Chesnais-Girard.
Ongoing discussions with the Ministry of the Economy
The Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire reacted this morning to these discussions. “There are also the big real estate companies which must make efforts “, he said on RMC on Tuesday. “The big real estate companies can and must do more to help those who cannot pay their rents today“, he insisted, announcing for this week discussions between the sector and the government.
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