Consumption: Summer sales are approaching... What are the rules to follow and monitor?

This year, the summer sales will take place from Wednesday, June 25th to Tuesday, July 22nd, throughout mainland France. Please note that if you are reading this article from Corsica or the overseas departments, there will be a date shift.

The four weeks of discounts and promotions are therefore not the same for Corsicans and residents of the French overseas territories. On the Isle of Beauty, the sales run from July 9 to August 5. In Guadeloupe, they will take place from September 27 to October 24. Martinicans, for their part, will be able to take advantage of the summer promotional benefits from October 2 to 29.

As for the people of Réunion, their summer sales won't take place until next year, from February 1st to 28th. However, their winter sales will take place from September 6th to October 3rd. In Saint Barthélemy and San Marino, residents can find their bargains from October 11th to November 7th. And in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the sales will take place from July 16th to August 12th.

Sale items must have been offered for sale and paid for at least one month before the start of the sale. It is prohibited to make a purchase specifically for the sale a few days before the start date of the sale, without the products having been offered for sale beforehand.

In the store, the distinction between sale and non-sale items must be clearly visible to consumers: precise labeling, separate location in the store, in particular.

Prices and advertising

The seller must clearly indicate the discounts offered compared to an actual reference price. It is therefore prohibited to increase the price of a product before the sales period , with the aim of making it appear that the promotional offer is greater than it actually is.

The retailer must be able to justify the reference prices of the products on sale: either the lowest price actually charged before the start of the promotion, or the price recommended by the supplier or network head. Furthermore, it is prohibited to avoid price reductions displayed in the window, a practice deemed false advertising.