Apple to shut 3 Paris stores Saturday as 70,000 officers deploy

By Marcus Bennett

Apple will close all three Paris stores on Saturday, cutting a full trading day from its Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Opéra and Marché Saint-Germain locations. The company said the stores will reopen Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

Four other Apple stores across France will also close Saturday, while shopping-center outlets in the Paris region are expected to remain open, leaving the company’s regional schedule less settled than its flagship plan. The confirmed closures cover city locations; the outlet outlook remains an expectation.

Which retailers and venues are changing their schedules?

• Art Basel Paris will end its 2026 edition at 7 p.m. Friday despite scheduling the fair through Sunday at the Grand Palais, after citing security concerns.
• Fondation Cartier will close all weekend, Fondation Louis Vuitton will shutter Saturday, and several major museums, including the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, will also shut.
• Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione canceled its Saturday performances for security reasons, extending the disruption to a venue used for fashion-week shows.

These retail and cultural closures follow last weekend’s widespread violence and looting, which overtook peaceful protests, as retailers prepare for further demonstrations in the capital Saturday. The overlapping closures concentrate the disruption around central retail and cultural districts.

Who will keep trading through the disruption?

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton confirmed that it does not plan to close stores this weekend across its brands. Galeries Lafayette said both its locations near Opéra and on the Champs-Élysées will remain open. Their approach contrasts with Apple’s full-day Paris shutdown.

The split puts store staffing and security decisions on a location-by-location basis. The police prefecture urged shopkeepers to strengthen security, check surveillance systems and alarms, protect storefronts, and adjust opening hours or hire private security. For stores that hire private guards, that added expense falls on the retailer.

How has the authorized protest route shifted?

The government rejected a proposed march from Place de la République toward Opéra, an area home to department stores and luxury boutiques. Officials also banned gatherings near the Champs-Élysées.

Instead, authorities authorized a march from Bastille to Nation through more residential neighborhoods containing small businesses, steering the protest away from the town center. Small shopkeepers around the République area continue dealing with last weekend’s damage.

What operating changes are retailers making?

Along the Quai de Valmy, boarded storefronts carry notices that businesses remain closed. Some merchants removed merchandise from their premises, while taped notes sought to deter potential looters.

Judith Jiguet, managing director of the Federation of Commerce and Retail, said: “No one can work serenely under this threat. The priority of all is that this does not happen again.” She asked authorities for real-time safety alerts, particularly if violence erupts, and live updates on the demonstration’s movement.

Jiguet said public authorities must support shopkeepers and guarantee their safety this Saturday and in following weeks. Her request sharpens the reopening decision for stores weighing revised hours, added security and protection of remaining stock.

What damage has Make My Lemonade reported?

Independent fashion brand Make My Lemonade counted among the businesses looted last weekend. A notice taped across its broken windows said the company does not yet know when it will reopen or what financial consequences the closure will bring.

Make My Lemonade also received hundreds of customer messages of support and encouraged customers to shop through its online store. The brand is directing demand toward its digital channel while its physical location and reopening timeline remain unresolved.

What security resources will be deployed?

France will deploy around 70,000 police and gendarmes nationwide Saturday, including elite counterterrorism units, to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s rioting and looting. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said authorities may use water cannon, armored vehicles, helicopters and drones as needed.

Nuñez said: “We will be uncompromising with rioters, looters and all who commit violence.” The security scale raises the operating threshold for stores near authorized routes, even where banners say the stores will remain open.

Twenty-eight metro stations will close from 9 a.m. Saturday, including Concorde, Châtelet and République. The closures aim to reduce access to central shopping districts, affecting staff travel and customer access before stores open.

For brand and retail teams, the next checkpoints are Saturday’s 9 a.m. metro shutdown, Apple’s Sunday noon reopening and any live route alerts for shopkeepers. Make My Lemonade’s reopening date and financial impact remain unresolved. Retailers will need those updates before restoring normal trading hours and security plans.