Chanel’s Avenue Montaigne boutique still closed after foiled weekend robbery in Paris

Chanel’s boutique on high-end shopping thoroughfare Avenue Montaigne in Paris was still closed Monday, following a foiled attempted robbery at the weekend.

The luxury heist was prevented after a courageous security guard intervened, leading the four robbers to flee. One security guard was injured in the failed raid.
 
The crooks struck around lunchtime on Saturday, normally a busy day of shopping on Avenue Montaigne, a prestigious retail road that runs from the Champs Elysees to the Seine.

According to media reports, the four thieves showed up on Yamaha TMA scooters with guns and axes and attempted to break into the store. However, the guard managed to successfully lower the metal security gate of the store in time, preventing the gang entering.
 
“We confirm that a vehicle-ramming attack took place on Saturday, November 15, at the Chanel watch and jewellery boutique located at 42 Avenue Montaigne,” Chanel said in a statement made available to FashionNetwork.com.
 
“A security guard was injured and is currently being treated by emergency services. We immediately set up a support unit for the employees who were present. A police investigation has been launched, and we are cooperating fully with the authorities to assist them in their inquiries. We would like to commend the swift response of the security teams and law enforcement officers, who managed to chase the attackers away without any material damage. The boutique will remain closed until further notice,” Chanel added.
 
Given the exclusivity of the brand’s products and the high price of Chanel goods, the house’s stores, events, and shows are known to have especially high levels of security.
 
The rogues’ action marked the latest heist in Paris, which is still reeling from the spectacular theft in the Louvre on October 19. Thieves disguised as construction workers stole eight pieces of the French crown jewels valued at €88 million from the famed museum’s Galerie d’Apollon, in an eight-minute robbery while the Louvre was open that morning.
 
The same Avenue Montaigne Chanel boutique was also the object of a robbery in June, 2024 when a gang used a car to ram the store and managed to flee with stolen goods. 
 
Across the city on rue Royale, another gang ram raided Chanel’s store there last October, making off with over €500,000 in luxury goods. Though two suspects were subsequently apprehended and are currently in prison.