A Day in Paris

Monday, January 10, 2005

SOLDES

The sales are coming! The sales are coming!

The sales occur in France twice a year, by law. According to WHERE magazine "in 1999 the French government decreed that the entire nation should hold its sales at the same time (Jan. and July)." I walked around a shopping district and I saw they were moving the merchandise around the store -- all items that will be part of the sale are prominently displayed. Many stores will be closed tomorrow for an inventory of their goods.

The sale starts on Wednesday January 12 and lasts until February 12. As the sales continue on through the weeks, stores continue to mark-down their dwindling stock. You can really get some good deals from the top brands you only dreamed about owning.

The whole sales frenzy twice a year makes me a little nervous. I start looking in store windows to make a mental list of what I would want, just in case that item goes on sale. I start seeing stuff I want, when I never thought of it before ... but it's probably going to be on sale for a lot less... so now I need it. Over the years I've bought some beautiful hand bags, shoes, and dresses during the sales, in stores I wouldn't even walk into the rest of the year.

I always think of a French friend who took a trip to the US for the first time a few years ago. The friend found a sales circular from a local mall and couldn't believe his good fortune that he arrived during the US sales. How disappointed he was to find that everyday is sales day in the US (especially now with the exchange rate :) ).

-- said Auntie M in Paris
10:58 PM

5 comments

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Comments:

I can't believe I'll be missing the initial frenzy *sigh* Oh well, it's around week two (when things go to 50% off) that I get PROFESSIONAL.
-Coquette

# posted by Anonymous : 5:16 AM

It will probably be a mad house for these sales??

If there is a holiday or something coming up like a special event I do my best to get the gift months ahead of time so I dont have to climb the ceiling to get through all the people...I cant shop like that..I would sacrifice the sales to not get mobbed but thats just me :).

# posted by CrackerSnacker : 6:07 AM

Yay soldes!

I am counting on hitting Morgan de Toi tomorrow, as they have some of the cutest, retro-style sweaters that usually I can't afford for the life of me (perhaps I'm just too much of a bargain shopper, but 60 euros for a sweater?! I don't think so.

Of course, I will probably do the tour of the mall and stuff later on in the day, but Morgan is totally the one I'm crossing my fingers for the good deals.

Kim
(the one at francophony.net who can't remember her blogger password for the life of her.)

# posted by Anonymous : 7:06 AM

I HATE THE SALES! I work right behind les grands magasins, so it makes my life hell. I can't hear my students over the din of honking cars and people in the street. Plus, I have never found one good thing at the sales. I bought a shirt once that it turned out had a teeeeeeeny little hole that I couldn't see since it was towards the back, but this hole was going to grow and grow. After a half hour of arguing, I finally managed to get credit (which I promptly lost of course). Another time, the charming sales women thought I couldn't speak French and accused me of changing the tags on a sweater I liked. (Need I say I didn't change the tags?) I hate them. I hate them. I hate them!

# posted by Kate : 9:24 AM

Coquette, Sorry you'll miss the first week of the sales, but there is lots of stuff to be bought.
Crackersnacker, Welcome to the blog! Thanks for commenting. Yes, I agree, it's better to buy gifts ahead of time. Then you get exactly what you need or want to give and don't have to fight the crowds.
Kim, Thanks for checking out my blog. Always nice to meet another France blogger.
Kate, I couldn't agree with you more about the big stores during the sales. However, I do enjoy going to the small shops near me, especially after the first week when it's really crazy.

# posted by Auntie M in Paris : 9:00 PM