This is the ultimate independent gift shop in the cloister of Chartres Cathedral. After the closure of the two Michel Brisson shops, In the pleasure of offering, in November, and the souvenir one of the cloister of Notre-Dame and its famous baths, in late December, the Galerie Saint-Fulbert located on the south portal is the last of the Mohicans.
At Chartres Cathedral, a summer without foreign groups or tourists
The old Asne shop, located next to the Galleria, and which also sold souvenirs, had never reopened after the Covid-19 health crisis. It has since been converted into an Asian tea room.
Xavier Vidon, 40, is in charge of the Gallery. He is the heir to a family history.
“It was my grandmother who took over the shop that sold souvenirs and religious items in the 1970s. Then my aunt then continued the story. »
Three shops
His aunt, Élisabeth Vidon, is the director of the Galerie Saint-Fulbert, but also of the religious bookshop La Procure, located on rue du Cheval-Blanc, formerly the Christ Enseignant. She also had the trading card and decoration shop, Lumière et Art, located next to the Café Bleu. It also closed its doors at the end of December.
“We’ve refocused our activity on the Galerie Saint-Fulbert, adding statuettes to souvenirs and religious items,” continues Xavier Vidon.
Michel Brisson ceases his activity and leaves his two souvenir shops in Chartres
He does not hide that the souvenir trade is seasonal and that it is “difficult to make a living all year round”. “Tourist activity tends to be summer, from April to October. There is also a season for religious items. The month of December is for nativity scenes, and in spring we sell many gifts for communions, such as icons, crosses or religious jewellery. We also have paddle rental. » This complementarity in the range of articles offered allows him to work all year round.
Trading is no longer a stable business
Vidon’s third shop, light and art, located at 3 Cloître-Notre-Dame, closed its doors definitively at the end of December. “The store manager retired and we had the opportunity to sell the business,” says Xavier Vidon, director of the Galerie Saint-Fulbert.
Antoine Brethereau, owner of the Café Bleu restaurantfor seven years, and the Cobalt bar, bought the store Light and Art, which adjoins his establishment. He plans to expand his restaurant, Café Bleu. This expansion will allow the restaurateur to accommodate more seats, especially in winter.
“When you see how things are changing, you are happy to be there. In the ten years I’ve been here, there have been many external events: the attacks, the Covid… Commerce is no longer a stable business, as it was in another era. People consume differently. There is competition from the Internet, which does not neglect any part of the business. »
Tourists wishing to return with a souvenir of Chartres in their luggage can also go to the small shop located in the cathedral and to the gift area at the Chartres tourist office.
Claire Beguin
