Footfall in the Paris region’s shopping malls fell by 12% over the past week year-on-year due to transport strikes against the French government’s pension reform, the CNCC shopping mall federation said on Thursday.

The French government has already agreed to grant retailers additional Sunday opening authorisations during the winter sales season that starts on Jan. 8 to help make up for some of the lost revenue, the statement said.

French retailers and hoteliers have warned that their crucial Christmas season could be derailed if a strike - which was causing travel chaos for the eighth day on Thursday - drags on for much longer.

France’s CGT union said on Thursday there would be no break in transport strikes over the Christmas period unless the government backed down on pensi