In France, the reopening of Zara stores was welcomed with long queues

On 11 May, the re-opening phase began in France, which made it possible again to access all stores large less than 400 square metres. Several Zara stores have also reopened and many people have gone to the stores, creating long queues and gatherings that have sparked controversy on Twitter for the lack of respect for the social distance. Numerous social media users, including some journalists, documented the incident, noting that not everyone in Paris wore the regulatory mask and that in Lyon and Bordeaux customers were waiting for the reopening even under the rain.

The same happened on May 12 in front of the Louis Vuitton boutique on the Champs-Elysées. A similar situation also occurred in Lebanon, with a user named @chr_syh pointing out: 

In Lebanon, hungry people are protesting for basic human needs. But others are filling Zara stores in order to buy a fucking jacket, and of course they’re not respecting social distancing rules. Y’all are too selfish to get your freedom back. 

What happened in France and Lebanon makes it possible to predict what may also happen in Italy once the re-opening phase will begin also in our country. In addition to representing a potential risk factor, this type of gathering in front of Zara's stores and Louis Vuitton boutiques show that probably, as it has happened in China, the phenomenon of revenge spending (that rush to shops that occurs after prolonged periods of forced thrift) will lead to long lines in front of the stores that will result in a possible increase in revenues. As the French events have shown, this phenomenon will not affect only the luxury sector but also that of fast fashion – a prediction that becomes even more reliable considering that many retailers will apply large discounts to their goods to dispose of warehouse stocks.