In brief
- The 2027 winter sales in France start on Wednesday 6 January 2027 at 8am and run for four weeks, until Tuesday 2 February inclusive, in mainland France.
- For an online shop selling to French customers, the national dates always apply, wherever the business is based: the specific dates of some French departments do not apply to distance selling.
- The crossed-out price during the sales must be the lowest price of the previous thirty days. On our calculation, any promotion run between 7 December 2026 and 5 January 2027 therefore lowers that crossed-out price.
- Only products offered for sale and paid for at least one month earlier can be put on sale, with no restocking. Putting goods held for less than a month on sale is punishable by a €15,000 fine.
- The word “soldes” is reserved for these periods.
The 2027 winter sales in France run from Wednesday 6 January 2027 at 8am to Tuesday 2 February 2027 inclusive. The rule sets their start on the second Wednesday of January, brought forward to the first Wednesday when the second falls after the 12th: that is the case in 2027, as the second Wednesday is the 13th. These dates apply to all online sales to French consumers, wherever the business has its registered office.
How we checked On 13 October 2026 we read the guidance from the DGCCRF, France’s consumer protection authority, on sales, updated on 29 June 2026, and the Ministry of the Economy’s guidance for retailers of 9 June 2026. We applied the calculation rule to the 2027 calendar, and a chamber of commerce publishes the same dates. The sources are listed at the end of the article.
When do the 2027 winter sales start in France?
The dates are set by an order of 27 May 2019, issued under Article L. 310-3 of the French Commercial Code. The DGCCRF summarises the rule: winter sales start on the second Wednesday of January at 8am, brought forward to the first Wednesday when the second falls after the 12th of the month. They last four weeks.
| Period | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| Winter sales 2027 | Wednesday 6 January 2027, 8am | Tuesday 2 February 2027 inclusive |
| Summer sales 2027 | Wednesday 23 June 2027, 8am | Tuesday 20 July 2027 inclusive |
The government can depart from this calendar by order: the summer 2026 sales, for example, ran until 28 July, five weeks in all. Check the end date a few days beforehand, especially if your marketing plan relies on the last week.
Does an online shop follow the dates of its own department?
No. Some French departments and overseas territories have their own dates, to reflect strong seasonality or border regions. But the DGCCRF is explicit: the national dates apply to distance sales, including over the internet, wherever the business has its registered office, and local exceptions apply “except for distance sales”. A shop based in a department with specific dates therefore opens its online sales on 6 January, like everyone else.
Which price should be crossed out during the sales?
The crossed-out price must follow the general rule for price reduction announcements: it is the lowest price applied during the thirty days before the reduction. During the sales as during the rest of the year.
Applied to winter 2027, that gives a precise window. The thirty days before 6 January run from 7 December 2026 to 5 January 2027. A Christmas promotion run in that window sets the crossed-out price of your sales at its level: a product sold at €100, cut to €80 for Christmas, then put on sale at €60, will show €80 crossed out, that is −25%, not −40%. Black Friday on 27 November 2026, on the other hand, falls outside the window.
We explain the mechanism, and the exception for progressive reductions, in our article on price reduction announcements and the reference price.
Which products can be put on sale?
- Held for at least a month: products on sale must have been offered for sale and paid for by the retailer at least one month before the sales start. For winter 2027, on our calculation, that means products put on sale and paid for by 6 December 2026 at the latest. Putting goods held for less than a month on sale is punishable by a €15,000 fine.
- No restocking: reductions apply to existing stock, within the limit of the stock to be cleared. You do not restock for the sales.
- Clearly identified: products on sale must be clearly distinguishable from those that are not. Nothing requires you to put everything on sale.
- Same guarantees: limiting the guarantees on a product on sale is illegal.
Can you talk about “soldes” before 6 January?
No. The Ministry of the Economy reminds retailers that the word “soldes” cannot describe a commercial operation outside the official periods. A warm-up campaign, a late-December email or a teaser banner must talk about a promotion, a discount or an offer, not “soldes”. Promotions remain allowed all year round, with the thirty-day rule.
If you also sell in other countries, the rules change from one country to the next: each market has its own regime for sales and price reduction announcements.
The calendar to set now
- Fix the list of products that can go on sale: on sale and paid for by 6 December at the latest.
- Decide on Christmas knowing its effect: any promotion from 7 December to 5 January will set the crossed-out price on 6 January.
- Re-read your year-end copy: no “soldes” before 8am on 6 January, including in the subject lines of scheduled emails.
- Schedule the opening for 8am, not midnight: that is the legal start time.
- Check the display: products on sale identifiable, crossed-out price compliant, guarantees unchanged.
The year’s key dates, sales included, are in our retail calendar, each with the date by which you need to have started.
What this says about the bigger picture
The sales are no longer the only discount moment of the winter: Black Friday, Christmas and the sales follow one another within six weeks. The thirty-day rule now links these operations together: the discount in one sets the crossed-out price of the next. The promotional calendar must therefore be planned as one block, from November to February, rather than operation by operation. The first link in that chain has its own new rules this year: what has changed for Black Friday 2026.
That calendar and pricing work is what we do through our e-commerce and marketplaces expertise.
Sources
All of these pages were opened on 13 October 2026.
- DGCCRF, “Soldes : droit des consommateurs et obligations des commerçants”, 29 June 2026 (in French). View
- French Ministry of the Economy, “Commerçants : quelle réglementation durant les soldes ?”, 9 June 2026 (in French). View
- CCI Lyon Métropole Saint-Étienne Roanne, “Dates des soldes 2027”, 2 July 2026 (in French). View
FAQ
What are the dates of the 2027 winter sales in France?
From Wednesday 6 January 2027 at 8am to Tuesday 2 February 2027 inclusive, in mainland France. The rule sets the start on the second Wednesday of January, brought forward to the first Wednesday when the second falls after the 12th; in 2027 the second Wednesday is the 13th, so the start moves to the 6th. Online sales follow these national dates, wherever the business is based.
Does a Christmas promotion change the crossed-out price in the sales?
Yes, if it falls within the thirty days before 6 January 2027, that is from 7 December 2026 to 5 January 2027. The crossed-out price in the sales must be the lowest price applied during those thirty days: a €100 product, promoted at €80 at Christmas and then put on sale at €60, shows €80 crossed out.
Can a product received in December be put on sale?
Only if it was offered for sale and paid for at least one month before the sales start. Putting goods held for less than a month on sale is punishable by a €15,000 fine, and restocking for the sales is prohibited.
Can the word “soldes” be used in December?
No. The word “soldes” is reserved for the official periods. Outside them, you talk about a promotion, a discount or an offer, with the rule of the lowest price of the last thirty days.
Can Dotsland help?
Yes. We build your promotional calendar with you from November to February, crossed-out prices included. Start with the list above, then get in touch.