Dates of the 2026 summer sales in France - and rules to know
The best discounts tend to come towards the end of the four-week promotional period
Retailers must follow certain rules when participating in the soldes d’été
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France’s summer sales – les soldes d’été – are set to begin this month, with most high street retailers offering their products at discounted prices.
The sales will run for four weeks from Wednesday, June 24 (08:00) - Tuesday, July 21 in most mainland departments - both for physical in-store and online shopping.
Specific dates apply for France’s overseas departments, which you can find here.
Like the winter sales (soldes d’hiver), retailers must follow certain rules if participating in the summer sales.
For example, an item can only be discounted if retailers have stocked and sold the product for at least a month before the start of the soldes d’été period. The French government put this rule in place to avoid companies increasing their stock just before the sales begin.
Another rule states that shops must clearly mark the difference between sale items and non-sale items to customers and show the discounts offered in relation to the original reference price. This is so that retailers do not increase the price of a product prior to the sales period with the aim of making a promotional offer appear more substantial than it actually is.
The retailer must also be able to justify the reference prices of sale items: either the lowest price actually charged before the start of the promotion, or the price recommended by the supplier or the head of the retail chain.
Note that the best discounts tend to come towards the end of the sale period, with retailers keen to sell their remaining items before the new season begins. However, if you are looking for a specific item then you may prefer to buy it at the beginning of the sale period, otherwise it may go out of stock.
Misleading advertising is also prohibited - if a specific promotion is displayed in a shop window then the retailer must respect the deal when customers enter the store.
Any adverts related to the summer sales must indicate the promotion start date and the type of products that are on sale, unless a store’s entire stock is concerned. Failure to do so will result in a fine of €1500.
