By Blandine Hénault 

PARIS--French companies most at risk of a drop in sales in the aftermath of the terrorist atrocity last Friday in Paris said they have tightened security but otherwise saw business continuing as usual on Monday.

"Our commercial centers have stayed open, with reinforced security measures, notably at entrances," said Klépierre, the Paris-listed commercial real-estate company. Klépierre operates the retail complex at Paris's Saint-Lazare station, one of the capital's busiest rail terminuses, among other shopping centers.

It was too early to say if there had been a drop in business over the weekend and Monday at the group's commercial centers. "It is possible that on Saturday, it was less busy," Klépierre spokeswoman Nathalie Baudon.

Unibail-Rodamco, the Franco-Dutch group that also operates a number of shopping malls in Paris such as Les Halles and the Carrousel du Louvre underneath the Louvre museum, said its commercial centers were open again on Monday, but that it too early to judge how business was faring.

The imposition of a state of emergency in France after Friday's attacks, which left at least 129 dead and hundreds injured in the French capital, led to the closure of many shops and tourist attractions over the weekend, raising concerns about the long-term impact on sectors like travel, tourism, and luxury goods which are crucial to the French economy.

"Traffic is normal and we note no cancellations," said Eurotunnel, the operator of the rail tunnel connecting France and the U.K. underneath the English Channel. Eurotunnel is responsible for cross-Channel freight transport through the tunnel.

The operator of Paris's airports said it was business as usual at its hubs, which include Charles de Gaulle and Orly, at least in terms of flights landing and taking off. "There has been no significant impact so far," said an official at Aéroports de Paris. "We are talking to all of the authorities and airlines to adapt to any new measure that might be taken."

Air France-KLM said its flights were operating as usual amid tighter security, with no evidence of a drop in passenger numbers for now. "There have been lots of calls from customers asking if flights have been canceled and if security has been stepped up," an airline official said.

Write to Blandine Hénault at blandine.henault@wsj.com<mailto:blandine.henault@wsj.com>

 

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 16, 2015 07:48 ET (12:48 GMT)

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