The winter sales in France are likely to be challenging

This Wednesday, January 8th marked the start of the winter sales in France. After the Fnac on the Champs Elysées was overwhelmed by a wave of customers looking for discounted items, today it’s the turn of the rest of the French stores to kick off the sales season. However, it’s uncertain whether they’ll see the same results, following a 6% drop in sales during last year’s winter sales, according to Retail Int and with the shopping budget still shrinking for the French. Between the commercial frenzy of Black Friday, French Days, and private sales, the traditional sales have somewhat lost their appeal. While these sales will run from this Wednesday until February 4th, stores will need to be creative to continue attracting customers.

While merchants seem indeed ready to double their efforts to meet sales targets in the coming weeks, customers don’t appear as motivated. After a holiday season where people didn’t hesitate to spend on gifts, parties, various dinners, and outfits for all these events, the French are finding it harder to open their wallets. “Black Friday, holidays, vacations... the problem is that this year, more than ever, households have been going from one spending spree to the next”, explains Jean-Guilhem Darré, general delegate of the Syndicat des Indépendants, to Le Parisien. However, even though purchasing power is down and political uncertainty continues to weigh on the French, one thing is certain: the recent cold weather in Paris should push consumers to look for discounted coats and warm sweaters. Additionally, after a slightly declining year in 2024, with months like September performing well in terms of sales, and others (like December) much more challenging, “right from the start, the discounts will be very significant”, explains Emmanuel Le Roch, the general delegate of Procos (the federation for specialized commerce). “There will be great deals to be found from the first day of the sales, across all product categories, with appliances leading the way”, confirms Romain Gavache, president of Dénicheur, a price comparison platform.

The problem this year isn’t so much the stock to sell, but rather the customers’ willingness to spend. “This year, stocks are less significant”, estimates Emmanuel Le Roch. Indeed, inventories have gradually decreased since November, due to the extended Black Friday into "Black November", alongside the many private sales that have popped up everywhere since the end of the year festivities. In reality, while the sales may be tough, it’s mostly because household budgets remain limited. “Currently, less than half of our members still have 30 to 40% of their stock, which isn’t a lot”, confirms Jean-Guilhem Darré. “The challenge for each merchant will be to capture customers' buying intentions as early as possible”, explains Romain Gavache. “It’s been a constant since the beginning of 2024: the French are more and more addicted to low prices”, adds Yohann Petiot, general director of the Alliance du Commerce. It remains to be seen whether this sales season will confirm the decline that started in January 2024, possibly marking the beginning of the end for this crucial discount period in French retail.