Some 4,400 Parisians gathered on the French capital’s Champs-Élysées on Sunday for a giant picnic on a 216-metre red and white checkered blanket in the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe.
I must say, it was not spontaneous. Le Grand Pique-Nic de Champs was organized by a committee of businessmen with the aim of bringing locals back to the area, which over the past few decades has become primarily a tourist destination.
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Guests, randomly selected from more than 240,000 applicants, were treated to free culinary delights – both on a picnic blanket and on specially installed long benches – provided by nearby restaurants, including the famous Fouquet’s.
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Although the Champs-Élysées has no shortage of visitors, its composition has changed significantly as property values have risen, causing the prices of shops and cinemas that cater to local residents to change significantly. LVMH, for example as reported paid more than 1 billion euros ($1.08 billion) for the Louis Vuitton flagship store on the corner of the Champs-Élysées and the prestigious Avenue George V.
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Along with luxury boutiques, inexpensive but still tourist-friendly chains such as McDonald’s and the Disney store have opened stores.
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Local residents have also complained about rising crime and anti-social behavior on the avenue, which sits at the intersection of several Paris metro lines. As an iconic central location, the Champs-Élysées was also the site of large-scale events. yellow vests protests that began in 2018.
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Grand Pique-Nique This was not the first attempt by the organizing committee of the Champs-Élysées to bring local residents back to the area: in previous years, giant spelling bee and an open-air cinema. It also comes as rival European capital London tries to wipe out its seemingly famous Oxford Street. ubiquitous American candy and Harry Potter merchandise stores.
The problem is that there is little that can be done in the face of high real estate costs that are squeezing out retailers and food and drink businesses that are not highly profitable or at least large enough to justify a location like the Champs-Elysees , as an unprofitable showcase of their online offering.
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Tourists have money, so it’s no surprise that the most expensive areas are being adapted to suit their needs. Indeed, the only way authorities and businesses can bring back local customers is by hosting more picnics. Parisians are unlikely to complain.