In the very commercial rue des Filatiers, apart from the food shops, only two shops were open yesterday. Among them, Maison Berthe Guilhem, which markets organic cosmetic products made in Ariège. For its manager Thierry Gabaude, “the opening on Sundays before the Christmas holidays is intended to increase turnover but also to satisfy our customers”. A public which had however somewhat deserted the city center of Toulouse while a municipal authorization gives traders the possibility of opening three Sundays before Christmas. “Last year, we had more people but it was a bit special with the confinement and people had played along,” says the trader. “It must be said that, so few stores are open, that does not create a dynamic”.

In the still more commercial street Saint-Rome, the account was not there either. Barely one in two stores was open. “We made the choice to open from 1:30 pm but I know that other independent businesses preferred to remain closed because it is never the big crowd,” admits Tifenn of the women’s clothing store Swap. “Since the Covid, consumption habits have also changed, which is why we opened an online store to meet this demand. Despite everything, we will still be open the next two Sundays before Christmas”.

See you on December 12 and 19.