"There's room for everyone": Street vendors evicted from beaches in Les Sables d'Olonne

Street vendors who come to sell chichis, chouchous, doughnuts and other cold drinks are no longer held in high esteem on the beaches of Vendée where a conflict has pitted them against local traders.

They are being evicted by the municipalities, and their boss wants to take the matter to court. In Les Sables-d'Olonne, they were even expelled from the Grande Plage.

No more carts zigzagging between the napkins, much to the dismay of Farid, who came with his family... "Street vendors, that's part of the postcard. I won't go to the store to buy, I prefer to be served on the spot," he says.

These vendors still roam some Vendée beaches, but no longer in Les Sables. Along with other traders, Ayda led the revolt.

"It's not fair because we pay a fee, we have specifications to meet. It's unfair competition against us, against our colleagues. It's our livelihood," she believes.

With her partner, she paid 8,000 euros for her concession. Jefferson Fertel is the manager of O Pirates, which employs around thirty street vendors in Vendée. And according to him, they don't overshadow the beach huts.

"I don't occupy public spaces, so I'm not subject to the same rules. I sell ice cream, doughnuts, drinks, and chocolates. That's their main business; I believe there's room for everyone today," he emphasizes.

The town hall too. It even issued a call for tenders for a concession last year. No company responded. Jean Eudes Cassès, deputy in charge of commerce, regrets this unlawful installation. “For 30 or 40 years, they've been offering us chichis and doughnuts with their baskets. To the delight of beachgoers. The community has no interest in opposing this,” he says.

The Pirate will take the dispute to court. In the meantime, the municipal police have been ordered to expel all street vendors from the main beach.