Summer sales 2026: what French shoppers are really planning
Ecommerce-guides
Every year, the summer sales reshape French shopping habits. In 2026, the barometer reveals a paradox: a sharply higher average budget, paired with spending behavior that remains cautious and loyal to what's already familiar.
For retailers, understanding this paradox isn't a minor detail. It's what separates a well-anticipated sales period from one you simply have to ride out.
Mollie is publishing the 3rd edition of its annual barometer “French Shoppers and the Sales,” conducted with OpinionWay among more than 1,000 French consumers. This report gives you a clear, data-driven read on shopping behavior ahead of this key period.
In this report, you'll find:
The real budget behind the sales: why the average planned spend jumps to €357, up €124 from 2025, and which households are driving that increase.
Generational trade-offs: why nearly two-thirds of under-35s plan to shop the sales, compared to just over a fifth of those 65 and older, and what that reveals about their motivations.
The comeback of physical retail: why in-store shopping is rising again, especially among younger shoppers, and what that means for the omnichannel challenge.
A more diversified basket: how spending now extends well beyond clothing, into home equipment, leisure, and decor.
Loyalty to familiar brands: why 89% of French shoppers stick to retailers they already know, and which households are most likely to explore new ones.