The winter sales open on Wednesday January 8, with very significant markdowns from the first days.
The calendar and the multiplication of promotion periods, however, weigh on their success, as Jean-Guilhem Darré, general delegate of the SDI, explains to us.
The time for good deals has come. The winter sales begin this Wednesday in France, with significant discounts expected. This unmissable event nevertheless raises concerns among small traders. TF1info gathered the point of view of Jean-Guilhem Darré, general delegate of the Union of Independents and VSEs (SDI), which represents 25,000 very small businesses in France.
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The SDI notes that significant markdowns are expected from the first day, of the order of -30% on average. Does this mean that buyers will get good deals?
Yes, we can obviously do this during any promotional period. The problem we have is to know if the sales still have sufficient attractiveness for the consumer to justify particular expenses. There are promotional periods all year round: in physical stores, and even more so in e-commerce. Or even every day on certain Chinese sites, where you can get clothes at low prices. Added to this is the strong development of resale platforms between individuals.
Retailers have significant stocks this year. Is this good news for consumers?
We have noticed in recent weeks from our members that times are tough. Stocks are quite large, but we have to sell, because we need cash for the following collections, in order to offer new products.
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Are retailers faced with a trivialization of promotional periods all year round?
Sales, at one time, were expected. Already, because it is the only time of the year when you can sell at a loss, which is, for example, prohibited during Black Friday. It is only during this period that we can have the most significant price drops. In addition, this moment was very well defined in the calendar. There were very few other commercial promotional moments during the year. The multiplication of these moments means that the sales have lost their attractiveness.
Where does this desire to rethink the calendar come from?
Not necessarily. Our members say that they are obliged, as part of this national commercial event, to mark “Sales” on their window otherwise no one will enter. They are therefore required to offer products for sale at the heart of the season, when they can sell them at their fair price.
The idea would be to give sales their true definition: the sale of products in stock which remain in stock at the end of the season. The postponement of the sales date is a very strong request from local businesses. Opinions differ on the date: should it be done at the end of January, beginning of February? This would allow shoppers to recharge their purchasing capacity after Black Friday.
