Summer sales start debate
Survey says 37% of French believe sales are the only way they can buy reasonably priced goods.
Summer sales start have started in most French departments.
The dates are set nationally by the government with variations by local prefects and will last around six weeks.
For a full list of sale dates across the country click here.
The sales have sparked further debate about spending power in France, with a poll by magazine LSA revealing that 37% of people believe they represent the only opportunity to buy products at a reasonable price.
From 2009 the government will shorten the two main winter and summer sale periods by one week each, allowing businesses the opportunity to choose when to use the remaining two weeks.
According to the study group Credoc (centre de recherche pour l'étude et l'observation des conditions de vie) the French spend 850 million euros during the sales. Summer sales represent 20-25% of shops’ annual turnover, less than the winter sales which make up 30-35%.
Government spokesman Luc Chatel defended its recently-launched advertising campaign to promote measures taken to improve French spending power.
“60% of the people were asking us to explain our measures to improve spending power. It’s normal that we respond to that,” he said.
“It’s worth remembering that the government only spends 80 million euros a year on communication, compared to the 500 million a year in Britain,” he added.
