Good deals and big traps. Every year, the sales appeal to many French people, even if fewer and fewer take advantage of them and go to the store. According to the National Clothing Federation, 76% of retailers considered the last sales, in the summer of 2021, to be unsatisfactory, even “catastrophic” for some. It must be said that with a drop in turnover of -18% compared to 2021 and -13% compared to 2019, the sky is not looking good for the sector.
Drop in attendance, change in purchasing behavior… There are many grievances for merchants, according to the federation, which specifies: “For many, they are looking for lower prices for favorite and pleasure purchases. Purchases are more reasonable in number, but customers are now looking for fewer sales on basic, necessary and quality products”. In addition to being careful with their wallet, more and more consumers are wary of promotions.
Some unscrupulous professionals play on our desire to buy to gently rip us off. Well-crafted schemes recur every year and you therefore risk falling into the trap during these 2023 winter sales. Planet lists five scams to be wary of.
This scam is a classic in sales and is also found during Black Friday. Some merchants and online sales sites have a habit of inflating their prices before the start of promotions, in order to then display a price that seems attractive to you, but which is in fact the original price. For example, a television presented at 1,200 euros is promoted to you at 800 euros, when in reality it is worth 800 euros. In order not to be fooled, you have to go ahead and take a good look at the prices of the products that interest you during the weeks preceding the sales. If you see a price increase before the promotions, move on!
Those who are angry with mathematics will easily fall into this trap, also a great classic. The merchant displays the original price on the product, informs you that it is now 20% off, then makes your life easier by giving you the sale price directly. Only, the final price does not correspond at all to a percentage of the basic sum: it is more expensive by a few euros. To avoid falling into the trap, always calculate the percentage displayed on the original price of the product. You will have surprises! If you’re not good at math, don’t panic, there are dedicated applications, such as Percentage Calculator.
Merchants are obliged to follow many rules when displaying sale products. As the Public Service site explains, “for each product on sale, the price before the sales and the new reduced price must appear clearly”. “In the store or on the website, the distinction between sale and non-sale items must clearly appear (special section on the site, specific color label in store, etc.). If there is no mention of both prices on the label, beware.