logo
PODCAST: Has Uber changed France and will smoking ever be banned on café terraces?

PODCAST: Has Uber changed France and will smoking ever be banned on café terraces?

Local France05-06-2025
Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local France's Emma Pearson, Genevieve Mansfield and John Lichfield for the latest episode of the Talking France podcast.
The dispute between taxi drivers and ride-hail services like Uber is a long-standing one that flared up again this week - so will they ever reach an understanding?
You can find the Talking France podcast on Spotify or Apple, download it
here
or listen on the link below.
The Talking France team also explores France's latest ban on smoking outdoors, and whether it will have any impact on those famous café terraces.
Advertisement
We also hear about another effort by French authorities to keep the air clean, via low-emission zones. Recently, France's parliament voted to get rid of these low-emission zones, but the Talking France team discusses the obstacles in the way of that coming to fruition.
And after receiving guidance from French tax authorities, we wade into the notoriously tricky topic of remote working in France.
Stick around until the end to hear about whether or not French drivers deserve their negative reputation, plus a handy tip for what to do when you are being tailgated in France.
EXTRA READING
What you need to know about taking a taxi in Paris
Explained: France's new smoking ban rules
So you want to move to France and work remotely?
Is this the end of France's Crit'Air zones for drivers?
Swearing, honking and tailgating: French drivers ranked among worst in Europe
Talking France is a free podcast made possible by the support of paying members of The Local - you can find out more about becoming a member
here
. You can also help us by leaving a nice review, sharing the podcast on social media, or just telling a friend about us.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Not just Ikea: where you can buy furniture in France
Not just Ikea: where you can buy furniture in France

Local France

timean hour ago

  • Local France

Not just Ikea: where you can buy furniture in France

Although Ikea does of course exist in France if you like flat-pack furniture and a cheeky cinnamon bun, there are other options for you to peruse. Maisons du Monde French-owned furniture store Maisons du Monde is a decent option, if you're looking for solid, non-flatpack furniture in a range of different designs. It offers vintage, exotic, classic chic, seaside, modern, country, and industrial styles for whatever type of look you're going for. Be aware that not all products on their website are sold by Maisons du Monde itself and different providers offer different quality. Look for the Maisons du Monde brand to ensure the quality. La Redoute The one-time mail-order homewear catalogue company has transformed over the decades into one of France's leading and well-respected furniture brands. It promises a range of stylish and well-put-together furniture at a price that's not out of reach for many people. And it does clothing, too. Advertisement AM/PM Look out, too, for AM/PM furniture stores, which has stores in major cities across the country and is owned by La Redoute. Think stylish and contemporary. But also premium – it's a touch more expensive than its parent business. Roche Bobois For high-end furniture, this luxury Paris-based store is for you. It works with well-known designers and cultural icons (it recently collaborated with Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar) and has a very distinct and sophisticated style. A go-to for anyone looking for something a bit special, and with the funds to pay for it. Alinea Founded in Avignon in 1989, and committed to sustainable and responsible home decoration, Alinea draws its inspiration from the landscapes of its southern birthplace. So, expect things to be a bit more relaxed in style. Habitat From 1960s London to 21st-century France, via liquidation and rebirth. In March this year, a boutique reopened in Paris. By the end of 2025, Habitat will offer its products on the shelves of several 'partner' stores as part of a slow relaunch. It has an online presence, now, so you could Conran your crib from anywhere in France, if you so desire. Conforama This is probably the French equivalent of Ikea, selling mostly flat-pack furniture but also things like sofas and electrical items for a reasonable price. It represents 16 percent of the French market (just behind Ikea on 19 percent and ahead of But on 13 percent) and has stores in most French towns. It offers a delivery service and some stores will also hire out their own vans, at a discount price, between the hours of 12 and 2pm (when drivers are taking their lunch break), so you can take larger items home. But Very similar to Conforama is But which also has a presence in most French towns, usually on the large trading estates on the outskirts. It too sells mostly flatpack furniture at reasonable prices. Advertisement Ikea We know that this article is about alternatives to Ikea, but it does exist as a furniture option in France and offers a good range of affordable furniture and household items. In larger cities the brand is rolling out city centre stores - these allow you to browse all the items, sit on the sofas, test out the desk chairs etc, but they don't actually have a huge warehouse of beds, sofas etc. Instead you pick what you want and then order it online for delivery. The stores themselves still have smaller items to buy though, such as mirrors, picture frames, kitchen utensils and of course 100-pack bags of small candles. The bigger Ikea stores on the outskirts of town allow you to buy large items to take home in your car, although they too have a delivery option. Advertisement JYSK JYSK is similar to Ikea in terms of affordability and Scandinavian roots, so expect lots of natural wood and neutral tones. It has a few dozen stores in France, mostly in the northern half of the country, but it is expanding into the south. You can find clean and unfussy furniture here to fill every room of the house from the bedroom and the dining room to the lounge and even the home office. Kave Home Kave Home is a Spanish company with stores in France. The style is generally Mediterranean with a touch of Nordic and mostly solid wood products. They sell everything from sofas and chairs to dining tables, beds, lighting and home decor. Leroy Merlin Leroy Merlin is better known for home improvements, selling everything from tools and lighting to wall paint and tiles – but they do sell no-fuss mostly bedroom, office and outdoor furniture. You won't find most of the furniture in store, however so will have to rely on online photos and reviews. Check out, too, other DIY outlets like Mr Bricolage. There will be one on the outskirts of most reasonably sized towns. Advertisement Selection M An online store that sells everything from dishware to antique furniture. It's not cheap, but if you have the money and a thing for what those in the know term 'slow deco', and what everyone else might call 'timeless', this might be the place for you. White goods Furniture stores such as Conforama and But also sell the usual array of household electricals and white goods, like fridges, freezers and cookers. You could also seek out a Boulanger store, or a Darty. Or a fnac, or a CDiscount. All have online stores, and deliver. Products bought from any one of these will have the advantage, too, of coming with the right plug for your French home. Local furniture stores The furniture stores listed above may offer good choices and have websites that you can easily browse for products, but don't underestimate the possibility of finding what you need from local magasins de meubles (furniture stores) – which range from the monstrous BHV Marais in Paris to a family owned store in a small town. Many cities in France have furniture warehouses on the outskirts, so it's worth seeking them out. For white goods, watch out for discount outlets, sometimes called 'entrepots'. Second-hand furniture The pre-loved furniture market is very much a thing in France – just ask the people behind Selection M. But you could find bargains aplenty online, by looking at well-known classifieds website leboncoin , for example. But also consider looking out your nearest Emmaus store, where donated goods are sold for charity, or any one of the 'troc' outlets. Then there's brocantes , which sell second-hand/vintage/antique items. There are some brocante stores but also regular market-style events in towns and cities across France that offer a huge range of items from real junk to genuine bargains on old furniture. Vide grenier are more like car-boot sales/yard sales are tend to offer smaller items and not much furniture, but you may also see signs locally for a vide maison or house clearance, which may have some bargains. READ ALSO : Vide grenier and brocante: The written and unwritten rules of France's second-hand sales✎

Claire's enters judicial recovery in France
Claire's enters judicial recovery in France

Fashion Network

time3 hours ago

  • Fashion Network

Claire's enters judicial recovery in France

There has been no respite on the fashion retail default front. On July 24, 2025, the French subsidiary of American low-price accessories chain Claire's was placed in receivership by the Paris Commercial Court, has learned from corroborating sources. The chain has 239 stores in France, employing a total of 1,258 people. In recent months, several closures have taken place in the French market, as reported by various local press outlets, including in Saint-Etienne, Angers, and Roubaix. According to Delta FM, the French management has already carried out two PSEs in 2024 and 2025. A search for buyers will be launched as part of these receivership proceedings. Claire's overall business is said to be affected by the impact of customs duties imposed by the US (the company has its products manufactured in China), but the brand has been hit above all by a growing lack of consumer interest since its golden era in the 2000s. Its range includes costume jewellery, hair accessories, clutches and bags, beauty products, and small gadgets in pop colours. According to the accounts filed, Claire's France generated sales of 132 million euros in its financial year ending January 2024, compared with 142 million euros a year earlier (-7%). Worldwide, the accessories chain is in a delicate situation. Held by its creditors since bankruptcy in 2018 (including the funds Elliott Management Corp and Monarch Alternative Capital LP), the company with over 2,000 points of sale worldwide is reportedly looking for buyers, according to Bloomberg. Faced with a wall of debt, Claire's is close to filing for bankruptcy in the US: the press agency mentions a possible imminent filing for bankruptcy (under the local Chapter 11 regime). A similar scenario also appears imminent in the UK.

LVMH shares rise after mixed bag results with 'glimmers of hope'
LVMH shares rise after mixed bag results with 'glimmers of hope'

Fashion Network

time3 hours ago

  • Fashion Network

LVMH shares rise after mixed bag results with 'glimmers of hope'

Shares in French luxury group LVMH rose on Friday after the group reported quarterly results, with analysts pointing to hopes on the horizon as the group said it saw some signs of recovery in the key Chinese market. LVMH's quarterly sales for products like Louis Vuitton handbags, Dior dresses and Moet & Chandon champagne came in slightly below expectations, at 19.5 billion euros (22.88 billion dollars), down 4% year-on-year, with a 9% sales drop at the group's core leather and fashion division. After an initial dip at market open as investors grappled to get a reading of what Citi analysts called a "mixed bag" of results, LVMH shares steadily reversed course, trading 3.5% up midday and lifting sector peers Kering and Hermes. HSBC analysts said in a note that higher-than-expected profit margins were a sign the group has become more pragmatic and efficient under the leadership of CFO Cecile Cabanis, who was appointed at the end of 2024. Deutsche Bank analyst Adam Cochrane said that while the second-quarter results were not "stellar", there were some "glimmers of hope". "Investors have been waiting for an opportunity to revisit this stock and the conference call highlighted a number of factors which may encourage a tangible recovery in China, market share gains in key brands and potential for structural efficiencies as well as ongoing tight cost management", he wrote in a note. LVMH's finance chief on Thursday said the company saw some "tangible improvement" In China, where a real estate crisis has dampened appetite for luxury goods. French luxury heavyweights have been facing a prolonged downturn as brands also face the threat of U.S. import tariffs.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store