Summer 2023 sales: the start of promotions soon! All dates

Are there fake discounts during the sales?

For the free application Eden by France Vérif, which has given itself the mission of “transforming any consumer into a better buyer, “47% of promotions are false during the sales period. Misleading reductions take several forms: they can come from fraudulent sites, which exactly copy major e-commerce players, except the first page of the site, presenting a more significant reduction than that of the authentic site. As a result, the product ordered and paid for will never reach the buyer. Worse, the banking data of this or that one can be hacked. “The average lifespan of a fraudulent site is 12 days “, warns Laurent Amar, co-founder of the application.

Legitimate sites can, for their part, according to Laurent Amar, lie about promotions: “We know that merchant sites do not have a single selling price for a product, but several. “The co-founder of Eden, France Vérif, explains: “Depending on your marketing profile [a woman between 18-35 years old, for example], a price and a promotion will be displayed “. Men between 35 and 50 will be entitled to a different price and reduction. The first victims of these misleading reductions? Young people buy a lot online, and seniors are less used to the Web. Verdict: we must continue to be vigilant and not hesitate to use dedicated tools to disentangle the true from the false.

What dates for the sales in 2023 and 2024?

In France, the sales are governed by strict legislation: their start dates (the second Wednesday in January and the last Wednesday in June) and their duration (four weeks) are set by the government. However, exceptional circumstances, such as the coronavirus epidemic, can upset this well-established schedule. However, unless there is a government decree, the following sales periods should take place on these dates:

• Summer sales 2023: from Wednesday, June 28, 2023, to Tuesday, July 25, 2023.
• Winter sales 2024: from Wednesday, January 10 to Tuesday, February 6, 2024.
• Summer sales 2024: from Wednesday, June 26 to Tuesday, July 23, 2024.

What is the origin and history of sales?

It was in Paris in the 1830s that sales were born. Originally, Simon Mannoury, a Norman who opened a fabric and clothing store in the seventh ^{arrondissement} of the capital. Named Au Petit Saint Thomas, this shop is a place of experimentation for the entrepreneur, who displays the prices of his products, invites customers to stroll between the shelves, and introduces mail order sales., so many uncommon practices at that time. As he finds success, he expands his sales catalog to offer more references to consumers but finds himself at the end of each season with many unsold items on his hands. This does not help his business since he wishes to renew the offer of his shop frequently.

The solution he finds to clear the way at the start of each season? Sell ​​off the pieces from the previous one just before installing the new collection—a real success for Simon Mannoury, who has just invented sales. Quickly imitated by the retailer’s competitors, the concept became popular during the 20th ^century with the rise of consumer society, department stores, brands, and the Internet.

Why is there a debate over the sales period?

For several years, the sales model has been called into question. And for a good reason: if the balances represent only eight weeks a year, brands can offer their collections at reduced prices on different occasions. The only imperative is not to use “sales” in their communication. They then speak of “Privilege days,” “Exceptional offers,” “Private sales,” or even “Black Friday,” “Cyber ​​Monday,” and “Boxing Day.” Enough to encourage consumers to wait for one of these promotional periods to buy the clothes that catch their eye. Moreover, in France, according to Kantar Worldpanel, 47% of clothing, shoes, bags, and linens are purchased during reduced-price periods.

These different weeks of discounts are also an excellent way for retailers to encourage the act of purchase. Sure, with 50% off, any Zara skirt becomes 1,000 times more flattering! The only problem is that if brands play with this system of discounts to promote consumption, they have integrated this sales model into their business plan. And therefore, during periods without values, they sell products at prices much higher than they should be. Another limit induced by these cascading discounts: they encourage brands to offer more and more products and collections and, therefore, tend towards overproduction. This is not good for the planet, whose resources are used intensively by fashion, considered one of the most polluting industries.

It is, therefore, the entire system of promotions that is singled out. In an open letter published on May 12, 2021, on the specialized site  Business of Fashion, major international houses such as Marine Serre, Thom Browne, and even Dries Van Noten (who is carrying the project) demanded a shift in the seasons previously discussed in 2016. This latter would notably lead to the disappearance of Black Friday, which “erodes profitability.” In France, the 2020 post-containment recovery operation initiated by large groups named “French days” is controversial and deemed aggressive for smaller businesses.

What alternatives to sales?

The detractors of sales, discounts, and discounts offer several alternatives to this model that is now out of breath. Among these is to provide a limited wardrobe of immutable basics accompanied by a series of pieces that respond more specifically to the season’s trends, as Maison Standards rightly does.

How to buy brands that don’t sell cheaper?

The sales are an opportunity for merchants to liquidate their unsold stocks and for their customers to renew their wardrobes. Except that not all brands have deals. But don’t panic; we will still tell you how to access better prices.

Another possibility is to produce in small quantities only and renew the stock once it is exhausted, as Les Récupérables offers. Balzac Paris applies a different principle. At the end of the season, unsold items are not sold. They will be provided at a reduced price a year later, together with the current year’s collection. 

Finally, this technique is gaining more and more followers:  create to order. This is the bias of MaisonCléo or even Réuni, which regularly offers new models whose production only starts once customers have purchased them. This on-demand way of doing things mainly appeals to digital brands that can be agile in production, but this system could well be emulated!