It's Winter Sale 2023! Until February 7, stores and websites are showing tempting discounts. But are these promotions really promotions? Not necessarily, according to the free Eden by France Vérif application.

The long-awaited period for fashionistas began on Wednesday, January 11 at 8 a.m. Until February 7, the winter sales 2023 allow brands to offer their collections fall-winter 2022 -2023 at bargain prices. A period of four weeks which is, for them, the opportunity to clear the way on the shelves of the stores before welcoming the spring-summer 2023 lines. Fashionistas can, for their part, really enjoy themselves by getting their hands on the hits of the season in promotions. If the most beautiful pieces are generally found the first week, the second and third markdowns make it possible to do real good business for complete your dressing room without cracking your PEL . Especially since since the 1 ^is January 2022, due to the anti-waste and circular economy law (AGEC), ready-to-wear labels (among others) have no no longer the right to destroy their unsold under penalty of hefty fines. In other words, they have an interest, more than ever, in liquidating their stocks.

However. For the free Eden by France Vérif application, which has set itself the task of ' turn any consumer into a better buyer ' 47% of promotions are fake during the sales period . Misleading reductions that take several forms: they can emanate from fraudulent sites , which exactly copy big e-commerce players, except for the first page of the site, showing a bigger discount than the genuine site. Result, the product ordered and paid for will never happen to the buyer. Worse, the banking data of this 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, lying about promotions :' We know that merchant sites do not have a single selling price for a product, but several '. The co-founder of Eden by France Vérif explains:' According to your marketing profile [a woman between 18-35 years old, for example] , a price and a promotion will be displayed '. A man between 35 and 50 will be entitled to a different price and reduction. The first victims of these misleading reductions? Young people , who buy a lot on the Internet, and seniors, who are less used to the Internet. Verdict: we must continue to be particularly vigilant and do not hesitate to use dedicated tools to disentangle the true from the false.

What are the dates of the 2023 winter sales?

The winter sales 2023 take place from Wednesday, January 11 at 8 a.m. to Tuesday, February 7 2023 in most French regions such as Alsace , Île-de-France, Brittany, etc. Some border departments, such as those that make up Lorraine, i.e. Meurthe-et-Moselle, Moselle, Vosges and Meuse align with the dates of neighboring countries, while the Guadeloupe has its own dates and the Meeting sale the spring-summer collections. To Saint Pierre and Miquelon , Saint Barthélemy and Saint-Martin , the dates also differ.

• Meurthe-et-Moselle: the 2023 winter sales take place from Monday 2 to Sunday 29 January 2023.
• Meuse: the 2023 winter sales take place from Monday 2 to Sunday 29 January 2023.
• Moselle: the winter sales 2023 take place from Monday 2 to Sunday 29 January 2023.
• Vosges: the 2023 winter sales take place from Monday 2 to Sunday 29 January 2023.
• Guadeloupe : the winter sales 2023 run from Saturday January 7 to Friday February 3, 2023.
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon: the winter sales 2023 will run from Wednesday, January 18 to Tuesday, February 14, 2023.
• Reunion: the 2023 summer sales will take place from Saturday February 4 to Friday March 3, 2023.
• Saint-Barthélemy: the 2023 winter sales will take place from Saturday May 6 to Friday June 2, 2023.
• Saint-Martin: the 2023 winter sales will take place from Saturday May 6 to Friday June 2, 2023 .

Those who live near the Andorra , this principality located between France and Spain, will be able to go to this territory of 468 km ² of Friday, December 23, 2022 to Sunday, March 12, 2023 .

How long are winter sales 2023 ?

Between the Wednesday, January 11 and Tuesday, February 7, 2023 , Those are four weeks that will allow fashion fans to redo their wardrobe at low prices. In fact, this duration is fixed by the decree of May 27, 2019 and is not intended to be extended except in exceptional cases. For example, the 2021 winter sales had been extended by more than two weeks to allow merchants whose stores deemed non-essential had been closed during the fall to sell their stocks. Moreover, each season before the sales, the brands that so wish organize what they call Private sales . But what is it, exactly?

What are private sales?

Generally organized a few weeks before the official sales, the Private sales allow customers to buy clothes at discounted prices without fear of out of stock. Sometimes as interesting as the first markdown in the sales, these private sales are most of the time reserved for faithful of the brand. Indicated by dots on the labels of clothing in stores or appearing in a special section on the website, they are an opportunity for real bargains.

What tips for successful sales?

What's great about the sales is the possibility of affording (and offering) the season's clothes at bargain prices. A few tips for shopping efficiently.

Know your needs to avoid impulse purchases

It is necessary, first, determine what you need . Because clothes bought on a whim because of their ridiculous price, cupboards are overflowing with them. Above all, this mode of consumption induces overproduction which is not without consequences for the planet. According to figures from the Ministry of Ecological Transition, 600,000 tons of textiles are put on the market each year in France , i.e. almost 10 kilos per inhabitant and per year. It is enormous ! So, you might as well try to limit impulse purchases and focus on the pieces we really want .

Always try on clothes

This is the classic pitfall. The sales have finally started, we have 30 minutes watch in hand to find good deals and... the line at the fitting rooms is endless . The temptation to buy this little floral dress at -50% without seeing how it falls on us is strong, but you have to resist . Because having to come back to the store to exchange it is one of the worst chores we can have. The risk : keep this piece and never wear it. Or how to turn good deals into money pits. Conclusion, during the sales, we always take the time to try .

Go snooping around independent multi-brand stores

What if, for once, you ditch the big names for go for a walk in the independent multi-brand stores ? Closed numerous times in recent months due to the coronavirus pandemic, they need consumer support to continue to exist . Especially since they have advantages that fast fashion stores do not have: a wide selection of sharp brands , employees accustomed to advising customers, singular pieces that you will not come across on every street corner. In Paris, go to Les boudeuses, Biba or The Frankie Shop , in Lille, head for Série Noire, in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, go to the Vestiaire, in Arcachon and Bordeaux, direction Pia Pia ... You are sure to find your happiness there.

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What dates for the next sales periods?

In France, the sales are governed by strict legislation: their start dates (the second Wednesday of January and the last Wednesday of June) and their duration (four weeks) are set by the government. Exceptional circumstances, such as the coronavirus epidemic, can however upset this well-established calendar. However, unless there is a government decree, the next 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.

What is the origin and history of sales?

It is in Paris, in the 1830s, that the sales were born. Originally, Simon Mannoury, a Norman who opened a fabric and clothing store in the VII ^th capital district. 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 establishes online sale , so many uncommon practices at that time. As he finds success, he expands his sales catalog to offer ever more references to consumers, but ends up finding himself at the end of each season with a hell of a lot of 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 clean up at the start of each season? Sell ​​off the pieces from the previous one just before installing the new collection. A real achievement for Simon Mannoury, who has just invent sales . Quickly imitated by the merchant's competitors, the concept became popular during the 20th ^th century with the rise of the consumer society, department stores, brands and now the Internet.

Debate on promotions: soon the end of the sales?

For several years, the sales model has been called into question. And for good reason : while the sales only represent eight weeks in all, brands can offer their collections at reduced prices on different occasions throughout the year. The only requirement: do not use the word 'sales' in their communications. They then talk about 'Privilege days' , 'Exceptional offers' , 'Private sales' or of 'Black Friday' , of 'Cyber Monday' and of 'Boxing Day' . Enough to encourage consumers to wait for one of these many promotional periods to buy the clothes that catch their eye. In fact, in France, according to Kantar Worldpanel, 47% of clothing, shoes, bags and household linens are purchased during the low 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 the brands play with this system of discounts for promote consumption , this means that they have integrated this sales model into their business plan. And therefore, that during the periods without reductions, they sell products at much higher prices than they should be . Another limit induced by these cascading discounts: they encourage brands to offer more and more products , collections and therefore to tend towards overproduction. Which is obviously not good for the planet, whose resources are used intensively by fashion, considered one of the most polluting industries on the planet.

It is therefore the whole system of promotions which is pointed 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 or Dries Van Noten (who is carrying out the project), were calling for a shift in the seasons previously discussed in 2016. This would lead in particular to the disappearance of Black friday who 'erodes profitability' . In France, the 2020 post-lockdown recovery operation initiated by large groups and named 'French days' is controversial , considered aggressive for smaller businesses.

What alternatives to sales?

Detractors of sales, discounts and discounts offer several alternatives to this model that is now out of breath. Among those, offer a limited wardrobe of immutable basics accompanied by a series of pieces that respond more specifically to the trends of the season, as Maison Standards very aptly does.

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

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

Source journaldesfemmes.fr