Ça y'est, It's Winter Sales Time in France !!!

Yippee!! Les soldes are here again!!!!! The Christmas & New Year’s holidays are over and the winter sales start tomorrow. 

All the beautiful things I have seen at the begining of the season and have waited patiently for can now be mine, mine, all mine. Patience is truly a virtue. 

France holds two major sales a year, one in the Winter and another in Summer. Winter sales (soldes d'hiver) begin on the second Wednesday of January and continue for five weeks. Summer sales (soldes d'été) start on the last Wednesday of June and last five weeks as well.

In the past, the government didn’t fix dates the sales should begin, like in Nigeria, they start on different days in different regions of France. But today, sales take place at the same time throughout France. 

There have also been a few modernization laws over the years and since 2009, it’s possible for merchants to run mini-sales during two other weeks, consecutive or not, at any time during the year, in addition to stock-clearance operations. 

The only rule is that these optional operations must end at least one month before the start of the nationwide sales (winter and summer sales). French sales are not limited to just a few items or a few brands; instead, the entire outgoing collection is usually on sale. 

Clothes are by no means the only things that are on sale. Everything is on sale in every kind of shop, from shoes to electronics to housewares, electroniques, jewelleries, toys, and more goes on sale at the same time. The Soldes signs can be found on the windows of every shop with bargains good enough to get you sidetracked to purchasing things you don’t need.

I am excited about the sales because I can buy all the things I have been targeting since summer sales ended. I have been making my list since the begining of the season :)

I am not going to be at the stores when the doors open tomorrow, it will be very crowdy so I'll take a chill pill and take a pass on the first day of folie ! Some French people hit the sales on the first day as early as 6 am and run inside the shops as soon as the doors are opened.

Men are not left out of this craziness as they are waiting outside their favoirite electronic and game shops. The crises in France is also responsible for this... life is so expensive and the crises has rendered several people pooor that they have to wait several months for the sales to get what things that are necessities at reduced prices. 

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law have invited me to go shopping with them, so my first shopping will not be in Nice but to Cap3000 at Saint-Laurent-du-Var. 

I need to buy myself a new doudoune with capuche, des bottes fourrées, des baskets and my ski clothings. Thinking of going to the mountains to ski with my hubby in Feburary. I have decided to do a lot of travelling this year. 

Not all the sales are genuine, especially aux petits magasins. Big shops give good discounts on most items that might have had a sky-high retail price during the main shopping season. 

Once I saw a lovely crop top in a small shop close to my home which was tagged 30€, so I decided to wait till summer sales which was a few days away to buy it. When the sales started, I went to the shop to buy it and lo, it was tagged 45€. 

I have since realised that some merchants are not trustworthy. Knowing there are several tourists in France during this period, the price was increased instead of being slashed. Somethings, sales might be more expensive than it's normal price.

The more sales weeks go on and the closer it comes to the end of sales time, the more the prices get slashed. Sale prices start at about 20-50% off for the first few days, and grow bigger as the sales go on. Towards the end of the sales, the reductions can be up to 75% off.

Some items are not worth waiting till the end of sales to get them, I snatch them up on the early, even if it is only 20% off, or it will be gone forever. However, for housewares stuffs like towels, bedsheets, pots, curtains, etc., I often wait until the mid-point or towards the end to purchase them. Most times, it’s all about the gamble !

If you are a shoppaholic or you wish to go into buying and selling, you know now when it's more profitable for you to be in France to do your shoppings. You won't regret it as it is a memorable experience, just make sure your credit cards are well credited :D 

This means that it is so easy to get overwhelmed! If you are budget conscious, try to make a list before hitting the shops to keep from getting sidetracked by flashing signs beckoning you to a bargain you don’t need.