Les Soldes: How France Does Winter Sales

If you thought Boxing Day sales were intense, wait until ‘les soldes’, France’s government-regulated shopping frenzy. Twice a year, France becomes a bargain paradise, with winter sales in January under strict rules.

Join Beth in the heart of Occitanie, as she explains why the French take sales seriously and how to shop like a local without getting lost in the fine print.

“I hope the festive period has been fun and you’ve begun the new year on a sparkling note. If you’re like several friends of ours in the UK, Christmas crumbs, gentle burps and festive excesses were brushed aside, and after a quick snooze, the next tradition began: the annual Boxing Day sales stampede. For many American pals, a similar retail frenzy played out on New Year’s Day.

Here in France, sales work a little differently.

Defining ‘Les Soldes’

Known as les soldes, France has two official, government-regulated sales periods each year. One takes place in early January, and the second in June. Each lasts four weeks.

The winter sales generally begin on the second Wednesday of January (unless that Wednesday falls too late in the month, in which case they start a week earlier). Dates can therefore vary slightly from year to year, and occasionally by region, but once they begin, the clock is firmly ticking.

As you’d expect from a country in love with bureaucracy, les soldes are a regulated commercial event.

The (Surprisingly Strict) Rules

During les soldes, retailers may reduce prices to clear stock, even selling items at a loss if they choose. Though there are caveats.

Only products that have already been on sale for at least one month before the start of les soldes can be discounted. Retailers are not allowed to restock specifically for the sales period — if an item sells out, that’s it.

Sales must also be clearly advertised, with start dates displayed, and discounted items must be easy to identify. The rules apply to both new and second-hand goods. In the case of successive price reductions, the reference price is the price charged before the first price reduction was applied.

Outside the official sales periods, retailers are forbidden to use the word soldes. Instead, shoppers will see alternatives such as destockage (clearance), vente privée (private sale), or the now-familiar Black Friday.

Some argue that the year-round appearance of destockage! signs has diluted the impact of the official sales, but die-hard bargain hunters strongly disagree. For them, les soldes remain sacred events.

Country Attitudes to Sales

I confess I haven’t taken much notice of les soldes. Curious to see how they play out locally, I visited our nearest sizeable town on the 7th, this year’s first day of the winter sales. There were no queues, no sense of urgency, and certainly no panic buying. In fact, the shops were very, very quiet.

To test my theory that les soldes aren’t quite the imagined retail spectacle in our rural corner of southwest France, I conducted an informal vox pop among French friends. The general consensus? Mild interest, cautious enthusiasm, and plenty of advice to shop wisely — but no frantic sprinting to the stores. Cities, however, can be another matter.

Sales in the Cities

Unlike us country dwellers, the official sales periods are diarised long in advance by 
retail keenies. And for many urban fashionista bargain hunters, the struggle is real. I can understand why.

City streets bulge with determined shoppers, queues form early outside stores, and elbows grow mysteriously sharper. Why not? Prices on designer labels are slashed to make room for new collections, and genuine bargains can be found.

Seasoned sales pros know the drill. Shop too early, and you’ll get the best choice but smaller discounts. Wait too long, and the savings may improve — but your longed-for cherished item may have been snapped up by someone else. Bargain hunting is an extreme sport requiring both strategy and stamina.

While researching the subject, I came across this advice for tackling the Paris sales from the Paris Discovery Guide:

“Make sure you’re in tip-top shape before the sales start. Get plenty of sleep, eat a proper breakfast, and stay hydrated. Because yes, people do sometimes faint during the rush to score the bag of their dreams.”

Excellent advice — and a great general life mantra.

How to Spot a Good Deal

During the four-week sales period, prices usually fall in stages. Early reductions are often around 30–40%, with bigger discounts appearing later — if any stock remains.

Retailers must clearly display both the reduced price and the reference price (the price charged before the sales began). Discounted and non-discounted items must be easy to distinguish, often by using coloured stickers or dedicated sections in-store or online. 

Posters usually display a legend for which colour corresponds to each level of reduction. There may also be multi-buy offers. Sounds complicated? It isn’t once you’ve got the hang of how the system works. And if you get stuck, staff are generally happy to help.

And Me?

You may have guessed by now that I’m not a natural sales enthusiast. That said, I’m not immune to a great deal. I did spot a great pair of dog-walking boots at Intersport recently. I’ll give it a week, swap my usual wellies and woolly hat for something marginally more presentable, and have a gentle browse.

Who knows? I might just come home with a brilliant bargain after all.”

For more stories from the heart of rural Occitanie, check out Beth’s latest book and adventures. We’ve just pre-ordered our copy to make sure we don’t miss out! 

Just like many clients sign up to receive our property alerts and newsletters, they want to ensure they don’t miss out on their dream French property, and potentially a good deal!