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One day after the iPhone Duo went on sale, many Apple Stores in France remained closed. Due to renewed protests, Apple closed more stores on Saturday than initially announced, with others closing as early as midday. Two stores had been looted a week earlier.
Apple closed several stores in France on Saturday, October 24. The French Apple magazine MacGeneration first reported on Thursday that seven stores with direct street access were affected. Apple's own store locator page now paints a broader picture: Of the 20 Apple Stores in France, nine were closed all day, and four others were only open in the morning.
The protests were prompted by renewed demonstrations against rising living costs and poor school conditions. According to the Associated Press, the previous weekend saw the worst riots in France in years, with approximately 2,400 arrests and thousands of damaged or looted shops. Student and school organizations had called for further protests on Thursday and Saturday.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Nine of the 20 Apple Stores in France will be closed on Saturday, October 24, including all three stores in downtown Paris.
- Four stores in shopping centers were only open until 12 noon on Saturday.
- Six of the closed branches will exceptionally open on Sunday from 12 pm to 6 pm.
- The stores in Lille and Bordeaux were looted on October 17th.
- For the launch of the iPhone Duo on Friday, all French stores opened at 8 a.m.
Which branches are affected?
Apple lists the special opening hours on the pages of individual stores, such as the store on the Champs-Élysées. In addition to the seven stores mentioned in the initial report, two more are now listed as being closed all day: Marseille and the Odysseum in Montpellier.
| Store | City | Saturday, October 24th | Sunday, October 25th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champs-Élysées | Paris | closed | 12–6 pm |
| Opera | Paris | closed | 12–6 pm |
| Marché Saint-Germain | Paris | closed | 12–6 pm |
| Sainte-Catherine | Bordeaux | closed | 12–6 pm |
| Aix-en-Provence | Aix-en-Provence | closed | 12–6 pm |
| Marseille | Marseille | closed | 12–6 pm |
| Lille | Lille | closed | – |
| Strasbourg | Strasbourg | closed | – |
| Odysseum | Montpellier | closed | – |
| Les Quatre Temps | Paris-La Défense | 10–12 am | 12–6 pm |
| Rosny 2 | Rosny-sous-Bois | 10–12 am | 12–6 pm |
| Confluence | Lyon | 10–12 am | – |
| Part-Dieu | Lyon | 9:30–12 a.m. | – |
Where a dash is indicated, Apple does not specify any special opening hours. According to Apple, the other seven stores, all located in shopping malls, are open as usual on Saturdays. The line between store locations on the street and those in shopping malls is therefore not entirely clear: Odysseum, also located in a shopping mall, is closed all day, and four others close at midday.
The looting of October 17th
This caution has a specific reason. According to MacGeneration, the Apple Stores in Lille and Bordeaux were looted during the demonstrations on October 17th. The Lille store remained closed for several days afterward. The reopening was reportedly postponed several times and finally scheduled for Thursday afternoon, just in time for in-store pickups at the launch.
According to the Associated Press, cars were set on fire, public buildings were stormed, and shops were looted during the riots in several cities. President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence. According to a police researcher interviewed by the AP, the damage is comparable to the Yellow Vest protests of December 2018.
In the middle of the iPhone Duo sales launch
For Apple, the closures come in the days following the launch of the iPhone Duo. In France, according to Apple, the device was initially only available for in-store pickup with prior online reservation, not for general sale. On Friday, according to Apple's store locator, all 20 French stores opened at 8 a.m., but the following day almost half were closed or had already closed by midday.
Anyone who had planned a pickup for Saturday at one of the affected branches can exceptionally pick up their order on Sunday at six of them, while in Lille, Strasbourg and Montpellier it will be on Monday.
More than just the street branches
I find the list on Apple's store locator page more informative than the initial report. It shows that Apple is not only protecting its prominent street-level stores, but is also closing or closing early stores in shopping centers – in Lyon, Montpellier, and around Paris. For customers in France, this means one thing above all for Sunday: check the opening hours on Apple's website before heading to the store.
Do you prefer to pick up new Apple devices yourself in the store or have them delivered to your home? Let us know in the comments which method you used for your last purchase.
