The sales officially begin this Friday. Discounts will be offered in stores throughout the month of January. Stocks are high in certain businesses, which hope to attract people, even if for several years, this period of reductions seems to no longer be as successful as before.
In more than 6 out of 10 stores, stocks are high as the sales approach.”It’s still quite interesting. Here, to end the winter, we still have some super cool, warm items. Plus given the temperature at the moment, there are definitely items that could be suitable“, rejoices Clara Aveniere, saleswoman.
But in many businesses, sales are no longer a reference. According to a study by the Union of Middle Classes (UCM), nine out of ten traders do not expect an increase in sales compared to the rest of the year. “For the first time in the surveys that UCM conducts twice a year, at least with regard to sales, retailers openly declare that they do not expect anything in particular for the 2024-2025 winter sales. It’s really a fundamental movement that is taking hold.“, explains Isabelle Morgante, communications manager at the Union des Classes Moyennes.
To explain this situation, merchants cite competition from online sales platforms and constant pressure on prices, the evolution of purchasing behavior but also the socio-economic context which erodes “pleasure purchases”. “There is great competition from online platforms where we buy all year round with reduced prices. You just need to register on a platform to have X% reduction on the first purchase. And that actually hurts the cash flow of local merchants“, Isabelle Morgante already declared on our microphone as the sales approached.
“It becomes a bit of a constant price war“, confirms Loic Russo, store manager. “Not long ago, there was Black Friday which is supposed to last one day and which ultimately lasts almost a whole month. It’s clear that there is much less attraction to come and get good deals than back then. I think we need to legislate on this and prohibit promotions outside of promotional periods.“.
sales merchants pessimism union of the middle classes winter sales start date
