The summer sales period will be extended by approximately one week to compensate for the drop in attendance linked to the heat wave.
The government has accepted a postponement of the end date of the summer sales, as requested by the trade federations. This decision comes as France is experiencing its second heatwave of the year, an episode of intense heat which has had a direct impact on footfall in businesses, particularly in city centers.
Attendance at half mast due to the heatwave
The summer sales opened on Wednesday June 24 at 8 a.m. But while traders hoped to see an influx of customers, the unprecedented heat wave pushed many French people to stay at home or seek coolness elsewhere, thus deserting the shopping streets. The National Clothing Federation (FNH), the National Federation of Shoe Retailers of France (FDCF) and the National Confederation of Lingerie Retailers (CNDL) complain of having to face city centers “totally deserted in the afternoon”.
Faced with this situation, traders “report declines in turnover of between -10% and -30%, particularly in Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Rouen, Lorient or Morlaix, with particularly low attendance” thus testifies to a grouping of federations. For these professionals, the sales period remains essential to sell off stocks and achieve a significant portion of their annual turnover.
Several federations took up their pen this Friday to already request their extension. They seek to compensate for the shortfall caused by the exceptional weather and to allow customers to take advantage of promotions once the heatwave has passed. For several years, certain federations, such as that of clothing, have campaigned for a shift in the dates of sales, rather to the end of summer and winter. However, this idea is not unanimous. Of 300 Parisian traders surveyed by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) in 2025, 89% were against such a shift, fearing that customers would no longer want to buy summer clothes when they returned from their vacation.
The government’s response was not long in coming. This Saturday, the Minister responsible for Trade, Serge Papin, announced that the end date would be postponed, in agreement with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. The summer sales were originally scheduled to end on July 21. The extension will be “of the order of a week”, the exact date will be specified “in the very next few days”, the ministry told AFP.
This measure aims to offer a breath of fresh air to merchants hit hard by the drop in traffic and to allow consumers to take advantage of promotions in better conditions, once the heat wave has passed. The government thus hopes to limit the economic impact of the heatwave on the retail sector, which is particularly exposed to climatic hazards.
A recurring debate on the sales calendar
The question of the sales calendar regularly comes up in public debate, particularly at the instigation of professional federations. While some argue for a postponement until the end of the season, others fear a loss of attractiveness and a drop in sales. For now, the exceptional extension decided in 2026 appears to be a pragmatic response to an extraordinary meteorological situation, without prejudging a broader reform of the sales system.
