French Companies Say It's Business as Usual
November 16 2015 - 7:03AM
Dow Jones News
By Blandine Hénault
PARIS--French companies most at risk of a drop in sales in the
aftermath of the terrorist atrocity last Friday in Paris said they
have tightened security but otherwise saw business continuing as
usual on Monday.
"Our commercial centers have stayed open, with reinforced
security measures, notably at entrances," said Klépierre, the
Paris-listed commercial real-estate company. Klépierre operates the
retail complex at Paris's Saint-Lazare station, one of the
capital's busiest rail terminuses, among other shopping
centers.
It was too early to say if there had been a drop in business
over the weekend and Monday at the group's commercial centers. "It
is possible that on Saturday, it was less busy," Klépierre
spokeswoman Nathalie Baudon.
Unibail-Rodamco, the Franco-Dutch group that also operates a
number of shopping malls in Paris such as Les Halles and the
Carrousel du Louvre underneath the Louvre museum, said its
commercial centers were open again on Monday, but that it too early
to judge how business was faring.
The imposition of a state of emergency in France after Friday's
attacks, which left at least 129 dead and hundreds injured in the
French capital, led to the closure of many shops and tourist
attractions over the weekend, raising concerns about the long-term
impact on sectors like travel, tourism, and luxury goods which are
crucial to the French economy.
"Traffic is normal and we note no cancellations," said
Eurotunnel, the operator of the rail tunnel connecting France and
the U.K. underneath the English Channel. Eurotunnel is responsible
for cross-Channel freight transport through the tunnel.
The operator of Paris's airports said it was business as usual
at its hubs, which include Charles de Gaulle and Orly, at least in
terms of flights landing and taking off. "There has been no
significant impact so far," said an official at Aéroports de Paris.
"We are talking to all of the authorities and airlines to adapt to
any new measure that might be taken."
Air France-KLM said its flights were operating as usual amid
tighter security, with no evidence of a drop in passenger numbers
for now. "There have been lots of calls from customers asking if
flights have been canceled and if security has been stepped up," an
airline official said.
Write to Blandine Hénault at
blandine.henault@wsj.com<mailto:blandine.henault@wsj.com>
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 16, 2015 07:48 ET (12:48 GMT)
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