France's Luxury Stores Looted One After Another by Rioters; Louis Vuitton at Place Vendôme Protected by 'Special Glass' [Luxury Goods Price Story]

[The Financial News] As large-scale protests swept across France, some demonstrators turned to violence, looting luxury stores and setting fires. A Louis Vuitton store on Place Vendôme in Paris escaped damage when protesters tried to smash its glass but could not break through.
On the 21st, JTBC and other outlets reported that large-scale protests had taken place in various parts of France on the 17th (local time). Protests by high school students that began last month with demands for better educational conditions grew into large demonstrations against soaring living costs and fuel prices after workers and others joined in. France’s Interior Ministry said 550,000 people took part, including 110,000 in Paris, and that more than 2,000 demonstrators had been arrested.
Looting and arson at shops, as well as clashes with police, took place in some areas. In Paris, luxury stores across France, including Galeries Lafayette, Celine and Dior, suffered looting damage. About 3,000 businesses were affected, and related insured losses were reportedly as high as €1.2 billion (about 1.8 trillion won).
Demonstrators who gathered outside the Louis Vuitton store on Place Vendôme in Paris repeatedly tried to smash the glass to get inside. But the window, made of special glass, did not break.
After the protests ended, photos of the glass that had prevented a break-in spread across various social media platforms and became a hot topic.
A store employee told the Financial Times, “The window held up because it was made of special glass, but above all, we were lucky.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said, “Those who tried to bring down the Republic will have to take responsibility for that.”
Meanwhile, photos of what appeared to be stolen luxury bags being sold on the street were also posted on social media.
Luxury brands are taking measures, including using unique product serial numbers, to prevent stolen goods from being traded online, while French police are deploying 200 investigators and a tip-off platform to track down those involved in the looting.
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