Sales start with offers of 80% off

SUMMER sales have started across the bulk of France with shopkeepers already reeling from sales averaging 4% down on normal and some hitting 15%.

That means many shops are starting their Soldes with sale prices showing 40-50% off – which is much more like the discounts offered in the second round of sales the “deuxièmes démarques” – and many shops have sale offers across 90% of their lines.

Online traders have even greater discounts with -60% on Zalando, -70% at La Redoute and -80% at Brandalley.

Some prestige shops like Printemps Haussmann in Paris, have even sent private text messages to regular customers offering discounts of 50% on all sale goods on presentation of the text.

Clothing sales fell 10% in May because of the bad weather and the reduction in consumer spending power, so shops are desperate to recoup their spending on stock.

The sales – the only time when traders can legally sell goods at below cost price – will last for five weeks. However, residents in Alpes-Maritimes and Pyrenees-Orientales must wait until July 3 for the sales to start in their areas, for tourism reasons.