End of Sale Month in France

Closet Content Analysis: Sale Shopping

NEW Choices: A bag, blazer, iron and linens

NICE          NOTE-WORTHY           NO THANKS

The two months the French anticipate for sales - soldes - are July and January and I fortunately have been and will be here for both this year. Presently,with July done, storefronts entice us with further and final reductions. Last week, Marques Avenue in Romans-sur-Isere was a sale destination for me and "up to 70% off" in the name brand shops inspired me to replace basics at "grocery store" prices. 

Red linen Caroll blazer. Photo by JoyD.

Note-Worthy: One still has to be diligent even when it comes to sale prices. I bought a red linen blazer in the Caroll store at Marques Avenue while in Roman-sur-Isere. It was 70% off the last markdown, which happened to be 110.00 Euro. I paid 30.30 Euro. Great - I was happy. Then, while shopping in Valence, I went into the Caroll store. The advertisements announced further reductions based on the colour coded percentages. I found the blazer I had purchased in Romans. The final markdown was to be 40% off the last markdown which was 150.00 Euro (note: 40 Euro more than the marked down price in Romans). 70% off 110. or 40% off 150.? OMG, my previous purchase was my deal of the decade. Roman is only 17 km. away from Valence. Of course I understand local loyalty but Marques Avenue must be very tempting for consumers in Valence. There must be a difference you say . . . well . . . yes . . . selection is limited in outlet stores but in my case the colour choice was the only difference. The linen blazer at the Marques Avenue location was red and the blazer in the regular retail outlet in Valence was a hot pink. I guess red was not the "tendance" this year. However red is a basic colour that I needed in my blazer collection and it was a better choice than the hot pink for me.

Purple Wrap Dress. Photo by JoyD.

No Thanks: I also broke one of my No Thanks rules while in Bourg de Péage. The price was that good! 19 Euros could buy me a three course lunch but instead I bought a dress that was marked down several times; albeit a dress that was 2 kg too tight on me. I did go for lunch anyway. The way I figure it, I will hang it on my fridge, inspiring me to lose weight and remind me about the choices I need to make when opening the fridge. It might be a tad big as a fridge magnet but I believe it will serve a functional purpose as well as a conversation piece.

Nice & Note-Worthy: For my linen closet, I decided to buy some Anne de Solene linens. I have been a Yves Delorme advocate for years but this year the outlet store in Marques Avenue was rather . . . unwelcoming . . . it was hot and there were no lights or air conditioning on in the store - there was a fan and lights on in the back room . . . there were several things that were "not done" by the sales associate that I took slight offence to and so I never bought. I may regret it in the big picture but at the time, I was miffed enough that I chose not to buy. The woman at the Anne de Solene store was amiable, knowledgeable and accommodating. In this case, service was as important as the quality of the item; although I am starting to regret my choice of not buying a particular flat sheet at Yves Delorme. My weakness is that the name, the brand, is what keeps me loyal to Yves Delorme.

Note-Worthy: To keep my clothes in perfect form, I found a Rowenta iron, made in France, that was a bargain. The regular outlet price was around 180. Euro and was on sale for 114. A friend informed me that he had purchased a Rowenta iron of the same calibre for 150. Euro almost 10 years ago now. This purchase was a "no-brainer".

The Best Nice: I bought a Lancel bag to add to my collection - at 40% off the outlet price. If I factor in the tax rebate for foreigners, I bought a great bag for 250. Euros that will carry me into the winter. I'm happy! There's a post here so I'll take some photos and let you analyze the purse later.

I've written about sale shopping before:
July and August Summer Sales
Summer Sales Welcome Return to France
End of July/August Summer Sales
Clothing & Accessories to Buy on Sale
Sale Shopping for Clothing
Shopping in Factory Outlet Stores