Since mid-October, widespread public demonstrations addressing rising living costs and public service grievances have triggered severe civil unrest across French cities as well as Milan. According to reports form Reuters, the unrest rapidly escalated into acts of commercial vandalism and targeted looting, affecting various industries including sportswear, fashion, and luxury retail.
In Paris, prestigious leather goods boutiques along the Avenue Montaigne – notably Céline, Louis Vuitton, and Hermès – suffered break-ins and theft. Meanwhile, central Milan experienced similar disruptions, particularly around Piazza Duomo and Via Torino, where groups of predominantly young people smashed storefront windows to steal merchandise. As a precaution, high-end stores on Via Montenapoleone closed early and removed display items from their windows. To stay informed and react quickly to emerging threats, store employees in the area set up an impromptu WhatsApp group to share real-time security alerts, Il Sole 24 Ore reported according to Leatherbiz.
