On Sunday evening, Jean Castex announced “non-necessary” products will no longer be sold in supermarkets starting November 3. Which one? What sections are to close starting Wednesday? The government has just updated the decree and unveils the list of necessary products allowed to be sold.
In the interest of fairness, Prime Minister Jean Castex has announced that “non-necessary” products will no longer be sold in supermarkets. “I have decided to add in the decree governing this new lockdown, a provision will be implemented this Tuesday, banning the sale of “non-necessary” products in supermarkets”, the head of government said on November 1 during the news broadcast on TF1. Furthermore, Jean Castex confirmed small businesses will not reopen for the time being.
But then, what “non-necessary” sections are they? What are the sections closing on Wednesday November 4? The government enlightens us updating their decree released in the Journal Officiel. It details the list of necessary products and first-necessity products allowed to be sold in "supermarkets, multi-brand stores, hypermarkets and other stores covering over 400sqm".
To this already existing list are added toilettries, cleaners, and childcare.
Official list of first-necessity products authorized to be sold:
- Car, vehicle, agricultural equipment maintenance, repairs and vehicle safety inspection
- Automobile equipment stores
- Motorbikes and cycles stores and maintenance
- Necessary equipment to farms
- Frozen goods
- General food (fruits and vegetables, meats and products based on meat, fish, crustaceans and mollusks, bread, pastry, candy in specialized stores, drinks, food retail)
- Wholesale trade
- Toiletries
- Cleaners
- Bodycare
- Childcare
- Fuel in special stores, stores associated to stores selling food to go, excluding alcoholic products and health facilities open to road-users
- Information and communications goods in specialized stores
- Computers, peripheral units and software retail in specialized stores
- Telecommunication tolls retail in specialized stores
- Building materials, scrap metal, paints and glasses in specialized stores
- Fabric retail in specialized stores
- Pharmaceutical products in specialized stores
- Medical and orthopedic items in specialized stores
- Opticians
- Seeds, fertilizers, pets and food for pets in specialized stores
- Products based on tobacco, electronic cigarettes, vaping products in specialized stores
- Leasing and hiring motor vehicles
- Leasing and hiring other machines, equipment and goods
- Leasing and hiring agricultural equipment
- Leasing and hiring building equipment
- Computer and communications tools repairs
- Computer and peripheral equipment repairs
- Communications tools repairs
- Washing and dry-cleaning services
- Commercial laundry
- Retail laundry
- Financial and insurance activities
Therefore, cultural product sections (books, CD, DVD…), as well as toy, clothing, furniture, flower sections must close in supermarkets and department stores. For the record, the government grants "leeway" until Wednesday to implement the new measure.
