Summer sales 'satisfactory'
Most regions of France see sales end tonight, but while hot weather has helped, the outlook for the whole year is poor
THE SUMMER sales draw to a close in many parts of the country tonight, with businesses giving them a tentative ‘satisfactory’ score.
The arrival of hot weather boosted sales of summer clothing after a poor start to the season, according to figures from the poll group Toluna.
Seven out of ten shopkeepers said they were “satisfied” with the sales, but figures for the whole year remain disappointing.
“Also, we notice that customers, contrary to other years, are not coming back several times during the sales,” said the Toluna report.
More shoppers are turning to the web for bargains.
On the first day of the sales, the site Rue du Commerce received one million visitors, 30% higher than in 2012.
About 20% of visitors to the site were using tablets rather than PCs, with the most popular items being for the home, such as lighting and furniture.
The l'Institut français de la mode said that across the whole year, average sales were down 3% compared with 2012.
“The summer sales were not so bad, [but] we will end with a negative for the season, and maybe for the whole year,” said a spokesman for the Institute.
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