While inflation continues to rise (still 5.2% in May, according to INSEE), the French are increasingly probing the labels before buying the sneakers of the youngest or the sofa of their dream. Suffice to say that many are impatiently awaiting the sales which open this Wednesday, June 22 – and will last until July 19.
“There will be a lot of good deals to be had”, promises Élisabeth Cony, founder of Madame Benchmark and expert in commercial strategies for brands, which is based on last year’s operations, “with very strong discounts from the first days , or around 70% for Gemo and Kiabi, 60% for H&M, 50% for C&A, Etam and Celio”, she lists. In the world of the house, “Gifi would be from the outset at – 70% while But and Conforama would align – 60%”.
In sport, Go Sport and Sport 2000 would post – 50%, without forgetting, for toys, – 70% at Toys “R” Us or – 65% at Oxybul. Of course, not everything will be half price. Branded or technological products in particular could display lower discounts. “For Birkenstocks with a metallic look, we can still count on – 20%, as well as for a Seiko Chronograph watch”, illustrates for her part Anna Perret-Silberberg, the spokesperson for Idealo, an online comparator.
More interesting than Black Friday or private sales
There remains an increasingly important question: aren’t the sales less interesting than before? Alongside Black Fridays, birthday sales, and other French Days, they are often preceded by private sales, each more attractive than the next, with rates often already reaching 50%. From there to think that all the stocks have been raided, and that some consumers are already sated, there is only one step. Well no ! “Private sales are only intended for customers who already have their loyalty card, not for all households,” recalls Élisabeth Cony.
“And then, we must not forget that during the sales, and only during the sales, traders have the right to sell at a loss, with even greater discounts”, abounds Emmanuel Le Roch, the general delegate of Procos (who represents 310 retail chains). “In textiles in particular, where the collections have a shorter lifespan than in furniture or electronics, promotions should be legion”, bet, for her part, Anna Perret-Silberberg.
Small traders are more worried
In small stores, however, the situation may be more mixed for consumers. If the big brands should take advantage of this pivotal period to offload large stocks, “for the small traders that we are, the sales as they are emerging this year represent an economic aberration, plague Marc Sanchez, the secretary general of the Independents and VSEs (which represents 25,000 companies): first, they start very early, the day after the official launch of the summer. And then this year, due to shortages (in textiles, the semiconductor sector, etc.), 71% of our members tell us that the products arrived late in the stores”.
However, under new regulations, the discount on a sale product is calculated on the reference price of the last four weeks. “In many cases, merchants will therefore not have this four-week history, and the balances will start less strong”, he decrypts.
IT, telephony, household appliances… + 11% over the past year
These shortage concerns “will play a particular role in the home equipment sector”, completes Emmanuel Le Roch, but also and above all in electronics: “For products like Sony’s PlayStation 5, released two years but with many supply disruptions, the brand should not agree to reductions since it has no stocks to sell, judge Anna Perret-Silberberg. It’s a shame, because smartphones, televisions (on the eve of the 2022 World Cup) or graphics cards are among the most sought-after products a few days before the sales, ”she specifies.
Last concern, in this sector: inflation was particularly high, both because of shortages but also because of the technical progress that accompanies the marketing of certain items. “Over the past year, prices have jumped 11% in IT, telephony and household appliances: if there are sales, they will therefore be on a higher starting base,” she concludes.