“Minutes brought goods for millions”: found out the price of looting boutiques in Paris

An employee of a luxury boutique told why such things are stored in the shopping hall, whether it is possible to sell a stolen rare bag and how the security of an elite store is arranged.

- In social networks spread footage of the looting of expensive boutiques in Paris. Are all these bags and clothes just in the trading room and they can be carried out?

- Not the entire collection is exhibited in the hall, but there is something, says Timothy, who worked in a large Moscow boutique of luxury clothing. It is important for the buyer to see the product. It is impossible to keep everything under lock and lock in the warehouse and each time to get at the request of the client. As a rule, in the boutique itself at night there is security. But when a crowd breaks into the store, everything is taken away in minutes. A security guard cannot physically stop dozens of people. And he shouldn't risk his life for his bags.

- How much do things cost in these stores?

- In Louis Vuitton, a small bag costs one and a half to two thousand euros (140-190 thousand rubles), and some models - 5 thousand (470 thousand rubles) and more. Celine has bags for 2-3 thousand euros (190-280 thousand rubles), outerwear costs several thousand euros. Hermès has higher prices. There one Birkin can cost about 10 thousand euros (940 thousand rubles), and rare models – tens of thousands. So it turns out that one bag was stolen - minus a million rubles.

- Hermès Birkin bags are hard to buy. They've been in line for years. So, if such a bag was stolen, there is nothing to replace it?

- It's really complicated with these models. Even if you have 10 thousand euros, it does not mean that you just come to the boutique and immediately buy the right Birkin. The availability of such things is limited. If a rare model is stolen, it is not a fact that the store quickly gets exactly the same one.

- Will thieves be able to sell stolen bags?

- Selling these things is hard. Luxury brands keep records of goods, individual bags have identification markings and serial data. If the owner of the store reported theft, information about the stolen items will get to the police and insurers. Large resellers check the origin of the goods, especially when it comes to expensive Hermès. And if a person tries to urgently sell Birkin for half the price and does not explain where he got it, this will cause questions from the buyer. No one would risk buying such a thing.

- How much damage has been done to the owners of these companies?

- For such brands, this is not a disaster. Yes, you will have to repair the premises, strengthen the security system, the store may close for a while. Renting in the center of Paris is expensive, employees have to pay salaries. But everything is fixable, albeit unpleasant.

- Will insurance cover the damage?

- As a rule, large stores insure property, goods and equipment. But the insurance after the pogrom will not immediately transfer several million euros. First you need to fix the damage, make an inventory, confirm the cost of goods, deal with the terms of the contract, it will take time. And a separate question is whether insurance covers stories related to riots.

- In addition to the looting of boutiques, goods were taken from a large cosmetics store. How serious is this damage to the owner?

- One perfume can cost 100-200 euros, expensive cream - several hundred. If the rioters took out perfume, cosmetics boxes, then there in a matter of minutes to collect goods for tens of thousands of euros. In addition, during the pogrom, a lot of goods simply crashed. Even what is physically left in the store, can not always be sold. But again, for a large cosmetics network, the damage is not so significant.

- They also show the destroyed mass-market stores, where clothes are relatively inexpensive. Is such a pogrom less painful for them?

- One T-shirt in these stores costs incomparably less than a Louis Vuitton bag. But in the stores of the mass market a huge amount of goods. If they took out hundreds of jackets, jeans, shoes, the damage will be decent. Add in broken windows, damaged equipment, so you need repairs. For a large network, this is unpleasant, but not fatal. But for a small clothing store, such an attack can cost business.

- It surprises me that in luxury boutiques doors and showcases were so easy to break. Aren’t they made of heavy-duty material?

- As far as I know, the glass is made of layered protective structures, on top there is a special film, the doors are also made of durable material. In some stores, metal shutters are installed. But there are no broken windows. If the crowd destroys the facade for a long time and purposefully, no defense can stand.

- Why don't you put expensive bags and jewelry in the safe at night? Especially when there are protests in the city.

- In some stores, the most valuable goods are removed to secure premises after closing. This usually applies to jewelry boutiques. But in a clothing store or leather goods can be hundreds or thousands of things. If every evening to remove from the windows or take out of the hall bags, shoes, clothes, hide all this in the warehouse, and in the morning again beautifully put, then employees will have to live in the workplace. So some things are removed, something is left in the hall. If you are aware of an increased threat, the store can close earlier, strengthen security or additionally protect storefronts.

- What should employees do if protests start during the day when the store is open and shoppers inside?

- First of all, ensure the safety of people. If the situation becomes dangerous, the store can close the entrance, stop service and arrange an evacuation. No one has to protect the bag at the cost of their lives. The salesman is not a SWAT. In one video from France, there is an episode where a woman shouts that there was one security guard inside the destroyed store who did nothing. I understand him. It's scary to be alone in front of an aggressive crowd. How could the guard stop the crowd? No way.

- Do I watch the police defend boutiques during such mass protests?

- During major riots, the police are clearly not up to boutiques. You can't count on them.

- After the incident, shopkeepers can refuse to work in the center of Paris?

- No way! Paris is considered one of the world’s major fashion capitals, with wealthy buyers from all over the world coming here. Such events could lead to additional costs for space protection, revision of insurance contracts and enhanced security protocols. But it's hard to imagine Louis Vuitton or Hermès abandoning the central streets of Paris because of the riots. Small business owners will find it harder. They don’t have that financial capacity.