France has two soldes seasons each year: a winter one that often begins in January and a summer one that typically starts in June. France creates a production out of it, complete with soldes—state-mandated sale periods—and other state-mandated sale measures, instead of simply putting things on sale to make room for the new season’s fashions.
Progressive discounts are offered farther into the sale period you reach, and they often begin around the first weekend of the month and last until the first weekend of the following month. There are deals every day of the week during this season since many retailers take advantage of the regulation enabling them to stay open on Sundays.
Special Sales in Paris
The Summer / Winter Sales in Paris may have come up if you’ve researched Paris in the Summer (Soldes in Paris). The Parisian government controls when brands may make sales. This is significantly unlike the US, where the retailer or business decides when to put products on sale in their stores. Sales are permitted in the city during two certain times of the year. The first time was in the winter, and the second time was in the summer.
The fact that all types of stores in Paris are having sales is something that most people are unaware of. Everything from premium labels to jewelry shops to gourmet food stores is on sale. Due to the cost and extensive documentation required by the government to even register, it is incredibly uncommon to see a brand hold a sale outside of the specified sale period. The majority of brands decide it’s not worthwhile.
Main sales Seasons in France
This is your chance to save anywhere from 30% to as much as 70%-80% and more in As Prada, Hermès, Gucci, Chanel, Dior, Sandro, Valentino, Missoni, Moreau Paris, Maje, Louboutin, Armani, and other renowned fashion names go on sale during these special events. Winter and summer have two significant sales seasons that last up to 4 weeks. By Prefect’s decree, the dates are chosen by each French department. Dates with set beginning and ending times are required for all vendors.
Winter sales of French
Winter deals typically begin at 8 a.m. on the second Wednesday of January (or the 1st Wednesday after the 12th of January).
Summer sales of French
The final Wednesday in June is often when summer deals begin at 8 a.m. (or the Wednesday before if the last Wednesday is after the 28th of June).
Date of Sales in different region of France
Sale dates in the following regions of regional France may change slightly: Alpes-Maritimes (06), Pyrénées-Orientales (66), Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Meuse (55), Moselle (57), and Vosges (88). Therefore, it’s good to look up the sales dates in the area you want to visit surrounding the sales. And also, good to be aware that each regional department determines the precise end date for the deals, making it possible for you to shop for less in rural France.
Sales are currently taking place at boutiques, department shops, primary hardware (bricolage) stores, and other retailers such as chain furniture, electrical, and home goods stores. You’ll have a little more time on the weekend to engage in bargain hunting because France now permits stores in designated “tourist attraction” regions to operate on Sundays.
Role of French government in soldes seasons
The French government regulates everything, from how long soldes last to the consumer protection laws that apply to the very definition of “solde,” with the primary goal of protecting small, independent businesses that might not be able to offer the same level of discounts as the big chains and multinational corporations.
NOTE: The same restrictions apply whether you shop in-person or online.
Consumers still retain the same rights during non-sales periods if an item is damaged or malfunctioning, which means you should be eligible for a refund even if the product was not specifically identified as defective. Vice caché is the French phrase for finding a flaw after buying something.
The sale price, the original price, and the percentage reduction must all be listed on the label of each item in addition to the retailer being explicit about which things are lowered and which are not.
Sale seasons in France & its Sign Prices
The consumer must be able to clearly see the difference between decreased and non-reduced products in the store for this approach to be deemed truthful advertising. A generic signal, such as a 10% discount on all the products on a certain shelf, suffices if the discount or the new price is the same for all the goods.
You can see the significant roles should appear clearly on the labels:
- There must be a cross-out on the prior pricing (this price has to be the lowest one that was indicated within the last 30 days before the sales).
- The overall discount amounts.
The base pricing must be accessible for factory outlets and online sales as well. They have two options for indicating the base price:
- The dealer has two options: he can keep the suggested retail price set by the producer or importer, or he can set the base price to the lowest value the item has seen in the 30 days before the sale (this option also applies to related items).
- The dealer may refer to a price that has been proposed in advance and which can really date back up to three years if neither a recommended retail price nor a comparable item is readily accessible.
Nevertheless, the customer has to be made aware of where the basic price has its origins, and the store, as well as the website, has to be able to prove that the basic price is a realistic one.
Final word
If you are a resident outside of the EU, you could be entitled to a tax reimbursement on your sales transactions. You are eligible if you spend at least €100 in a single retailer. Keep your receipt and let the clerk know you’ll be using a tax rebate so they can provide you with the proper paperwork (a duty-free slip).
