Paris luxury shops to open on Sunday

Tourists flocking to the French capital will now be able shop at luxury shops that line the Champs Elysees and the Place Vendome on Sundays as a key government reform comes into effect.

An agreement between luxury shops and employee unions on Sunday hours has come into force, said Sylvie Zawadzki, who heads up tax and social issues at the French Fashion Federation.

The deal allows shops to take advantage of a reform pushed through by Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron last year allowing for shops to open on Sundays in newly created international tourist zones in Paris.

Sunday openings for shops in France is severely restricted.

"It is an agreement that provides companies the possibility to open (on Sundays) but it is a decision they take based on their commercial strategy," said Zawadzki.

The flagship shops of luxury brands such as Chanel, Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton are covered by the deal.

Zawadzki declined to say how many companies are concerned, but according to the business daily Les Echos some 30 brands and nearly 100 shops could now open.

Other international tourist zones cover the central part of Paris, including the area where many of the city's top department stores are located, although only one, Galeries Lafayette, has reached a deal with its employees.