A full week after Monaco launched its winter sales, France has followed suit, making now the perfect time to get some great deals on clothing, accessories, housewares and other items on the other side of the border.
France’s Soldes d’Hiver formally began on Wednesday 10th January, giving shoppers a post-Christmas chance to pick up much needed and wanted items at excellent prices. Whatsmore, markdowns and price drops will likely continue throughout the sales period, which will come to an end on Tuesday 6th February.
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Like in Monaco, the French sales are set by law. Unlike in Monaco, however, French merchants online and in-store have just four weeks to sell their current stock to make way for spring collections. In the Principality, shops have been given just over six weeks.
ORIGINS
The concept of putting products on sale dates back to the early 1800s and is credited to a man by the name of Simon Mannoury. He owned a fabric and clothing shop in Paris, but wasn’t getting the footfall he hoped for. His ingenious idea was to advertise price reductions to the public to shift stock faster. His idea had the desired effect and soon Mannoury’s technique was being employed by shops everywhere.
As time went on, the French government decided to implement a series of measures that would keep competition in check. Updates continued until the most recent changes in 2020, when the sales period was shortened from six weeks to four.
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Photo source: Artem Beliaikin, Unsplash