Summer sales begin this Monday, July 1 in all stores nationwide, for a period of one month. Traders are particularly disappointed by the weather. After several gloomy weeks, a drop in sales due to the cold weather was observed.
More than half of the traders surveyed by the Union of Middle Classes (UCM) and the Neutral Union of Independents (SNI) confirm sales at half mast in recent months. “Four in 10 merchants (39.6%) expect lower sales in July 2024. They were 30% last year“, indicates the UCM.
“Reductions higher than normal”
In this context, many of them are ready to offer larger discounts from July 1, up to -50%. “The first week will be crucial for small traders: if sales are disappointing due to more unfavorable weather, for example, you should expect to see quickly higher discounts“, says the SNI. “Stocks are higher than last year for more than half of retailers (…) A situation which will encourage them to offer higher reductions than normal“, analyses the UCM for its part.
As a reminder, any sale item must mention the reduction and a reference price, i.e. the lowest price displayed by the seller during the 30 days preceding the sales. The two-year legal guarantee on an item is also always provided, even in the event of a reduction.
The summer sales period officially ends on July 31 inclusive. However, discounts are still possible on the Internet, more precisely on international e-commerce sites, which are therefore exempt from the Belgian law on commercial practices.
summer sales discount UCM SNI weather
