2023-06-28 16:36:44
Each year, France has two sales periods: one in the winter, starting in January, and another in the summer, usually starting – as this year – in June.
This summer, the sales started at 8am on Wednesday, June 28th, in most of France, and run for four weeks, to close of business on Tuesday, July 25th.
(The 2024 winter sales, for the record, will run from January 10th to February 6th in most of France.)
Be aware, the sales are progressive, so items will be continuously marked down as the sales go on. For bargain hunters, then, the challenge is to time your purchase just right, for the maximum discount with the minimum shopping hassle.
Technically, this is the only time that stores are allowed to have sales, but the definition of ‘sale’ is important.
Sales rules
Sales in France are strictly regulated – everything from how long the sales go on for, to the consumer protection rules that apply, to the very definition of pay is controlled by the French government.
The reason: to protect small, independent businesses which might not be able to offer the same level of discounts as the big chains and multi-nationals.
So, the government qualifies a pay as the store selling an item for less than they purchased it for.
You might see promotions or private sell (private sales – these are usually short-term events aimed at regular customers or loyalty-card holders) throughout the year. These are not, strictly speaking, sales because, although the stores might sell items for less than their original retail price, they are not permitted to sell them below the price they bought it for.
Shops are also permitted to have closing-down sales if they are shutting down, or closing temporarily for refurbishment.
Dates
Across most of France, the summer sales start this year on June 28th and run to July 25th. But not everywhere.
In Corsica, they run from July 12th to August 8th;
In Guadeloupe, from September 30th to October 28th;
In Martinique from October 5th to November 1st;
On Réunion (974) from September 2nd to September 29th (these are winter sales);
On Saint Pierre-et-Miquelon, from July 19th to Tuesday August 15th;
On Saint-Barthélemy from October 14th to November 10th;
On Saint-Martin from October 14th to November 10th.
The summer sales in the Alpes-Maritimes department also used to run at a slightly different calendar, too, but is now aligned with the rest of the country.
Consumer rights
Consumers have the same rights as non-sales times regarding broken or malfunctioning items – meaning you ought to be entitled to a refund if the item has not been expressly indicated as faulty. The French term is vice caché, referring to discovering a defect after purchase.
On top of that, stores must be clear about which items are reduced and which are not – and must display the original price on the label as well as the sale price and percentage discount.
The the same rules apply whether you shop in person or online.
Tax rebate?
Non-EU residents may be eligible for a tax rebate on their purchases in France, even during the soldes periods.
If you spend at least €100 in one store, then you qualify. You should hold onto your receipt and tell the cashier you plan to use a tax rebate so they can give you the necessary documentation (a duty-free slip).
When you are leaving you can find the kiosk at the station or airport dedicated to tax rebates (tax refund) and file prior to leaving France.
A brief history of sales
France’s sales started in the 19th century, alongside the growth of department stores who had the need to regularly renew their stock – and get rid of leftover items.
Simon Mannoury, who founded the first Parisian department store “Petit Saint-Thomas” – the ancestor to Le Bon Marché – in 1830, came up with the idea.
His goal was to sell off the previous season’s unsold stock in order to replace it with new products, and offered heavy discounts to sell as much merchandise as possible in a limited time.
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