Sales dates 2027 in Europe: winter and summer, country by country

Sales dates 2027 are not the same across Europe. In Spain, Portugal and Germany, each store chooses when its sales start. In France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and Andorra, the date is set by regulation, and that also applies to anyone selling online to customers in those countries.

Here you have the winter and summer dates for eight countries, the rule behind each one, and what it is worth preparing in the store. This has been checked against official sources as of 13 October 2026. Where the 2027 date is not yet official, we say so.

2027 sales dates, country by country

* Date obtained by applying the current rule. As of 13 October 2026, no official 2027 calendar has been published.

The dates fall into two groups. In the first, the law leaves the date to the retailer and only regulates how the discount is advertised. In the second, the rule sets the day, and selling “on sale” outside that period is not allowed.

Spain

There is no official date. Since July 2012, Article 25 of Spain’s Retail Trade Act (Ley 7/1996, de Ordenación del Comercio Minorista) says that sales may take place “during the seasonal periods of greatest commercial interest according to each retailer’s criteria,” and that each retailer decides the duration.

Custom still marks two dates: 7 January, after Epiphany, and 1 July. In 2027 both fall on a Thursday. Nothing prevents stores from starting earlier, and many do.

What the law does regulate is what may be discounted and how the price is shown. We explain that in the guide to January sales 2027 in Spain.

France

In France, sales (“soldes”) have a start day and time, and last four weeks. The dates come from a ministerial order of 27 May 2019:

• Winter: they start on the second Wednesday of January at 8:00 a.m. If that Wednesday falls after the 12th, they move up to the first Wednesday.
• Summer: they start on the last Wednesday of June at 8:00 a.m. If it falls after the 28th, they move up to the penultimate Wednesday.

Applied to 2027, the rule gives Wednesday 6 January to Tuesday 2 February in winter, and Wednesday 23 June to Tuesday 20 July in summer. In both cases it moves forward by one week: the second Wednesday of January is the 13th and the last of June is the 30th.

Three more things are worth knowing:

• Some departments have their own date. In 2026, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, and Vosges started on 3 January, four days earlier than the rest. Overseas territories have their own calendar.
• The Government can extend them. The 2026 summer sales were extended by one week because of the heatwave.
• Only items already in the store can be discounted. The product must have been on sale, and paid for to the supplier, at least one month earlier. You cannot buy stock just for the sales.

Advertising for sales must state the date they begin. Failing to do so is punishable by a fine of €1,500.

Italy

In Italy, each region sets the dates. To avoid everyone doing their own thing, the regions agreed on a common date in 2011 and adjusted it in 2016:

• Winter: the first working day before Epiphany (6 January). If that day is Monday, it moves up to Saturday.
• Summer: the first Saturday in July.

In 2026 they were 3 January and 4 July. Applied to 2027, the rule gives Tuesday 5 January and Saturday 3 July.

These are expected dates. Each region confirms them with its own resolution, usually between November and December, and some depart from the agreement. The duration also varies from one region to another. In Piedmont, for example, they last a maximum of eight weeks, and in the thirty days before that, promotions on seasonal or fashion items are not allowed.

Portugal

There are no fixed periods. “Saldos” can be held at any time of year, with two conditions:

• A cap of 124 days per year per store. They can be split into several periods.
• Prior notice. Each period must be reported to ASAE, the food and economic safety authority, at least five working days before it starts. This is done online and is free. The rule also applies to online stores, which must include their website address in the notice.

You cannot sell as “saldos” anything the store bought and received in the last month. Promotions, by contrast, have no day limit and no prior notice requirement.

Belgium

The law sets the two periods, always the same: from 3 to 31 January and from 1 to 31 July. If the first day falls on a Sunday, they start the day before.

That is what happens in winter 2027: 3 January is a Sunday, so the sales run from Saturday 2 to Sunday 31 January. The summer sales run from Thursday 1 to Saturday 31 July.

Belgium also has two specific rules:

• The words are reserved. “Soldes”, “Solden”, “Opruiming”, and “Schlussverkauf”, or any similar name, may only be used during those periods.
• The waiting period. In clothing, leather goods, and footwear, it is forbidden to advertise price reductions that apply during the month before each sales period.

Only items the store had at the start of the period and had offered before for at least thirty days may be discounted.

Luxembourg

The Government sets the dates every year by regulation, and each period lasts at most one month. The 2027 dates were approved by the Government Council on 26 June 2026:

• Winter 2026-2027: from Saturday 2 January to Saturday 30 January 2027.
• Summer 2027: from Saturday 26 June to Saturday 24 July 2027.

Outside those periods, the word “soldes” may not be used.

Germany

Germany had fixed dates until 2004. The “Winterschlussverkauf” (WSV) started on the last Monday in January and the “Sommerschlussverkauf” (SSV) on the last Monday in July, and each lasted twelve days. The 2004 reform of the unfair competition law removed those rules.

Today each store chooses when, for how long, and with which products. Many fashion stores keep the WSV and SSV by tradition. Under the old calendar, in 2027 they would fall on Monday 25 January and Monday 26 July.

Andorra

In Andorra, sales may only be held within the calendar approved by the Andorran government (the Govern) by decree each season. This is regulated by Llei 12/2013 on commerce.

The decree for winter 2026-2027 has not yet been published. Last winter’s decree was approved on 10 December 2025 and set this calendar:

• Private sales, for loyal customers: from 19 December 2025.
• General sales: from 26 December 2025 to 8 March 2026.
• Winter sports equipment: from 6 February to 19 April 2026.

Ski equipment stores may only discount items in that last period. Failing to comply with the rules on promotional sales is a serious offence, with fines from €1,200 to €6,000.

The common rule: the 30-day price

The date changes from one country to another, but the way the discount is shown is the same across the European Union. It comes from Directive (EU) 2019/2161, and each country has transposed it into its own law:

The practical consequence is that the crossed-out price cannot be the catalog price if the product was cheaper in the last month. The price it had in a promotion within those thirty days also counts, such as a Christmas campaign.

If you sell online to other countries

Selling online does not take you out of the calendar of the country you sell to. The official French government portal says it like this: online retail sales dates align with national dates, regardless of where the company is headquartered.

Three ideas for a store that sells abroad:

1. Look at the store version, not yours. What matters is what the French, Belgian, or Luxembourg customer sees in their language. A “Soldes” banner in the French version on 2 January is four days earlier than the French date.
2. Be careful with the word. In Belgium and Luxembourg, what is restricted is the name. A translated store that simply turns “sale” into “soldes” may be advertising something that is not allowed there.
3. The previous price is channel-specific. In Portugal, if a product has different prices in each sales channel, the previous price shown is the one for that channel.

If you sell to several countries and the campaign is important, check with your legal advisor before launching it.

Preparing sales in WooCommerce

WooCommerce includes the basics out of the box. On each product you can set a “Sale price” alongside the “Regular price”, and with the “Schedule” link you set a start and end date. The store shows the regular price crossed out and the “Sale!” label.

It falls short in two ways. It is done product by product, and the crossed-out price is the regular price, which does not always match the lowest price in the last thirty days. If you raised a price two weeks ago, the crossed-out price does not count as the previous price.

For a campaign with many products, these are our plugins that handle each part of the work:

If you are not familiar with checkout offers, start with what an order bump is.

Frequently asked questions

When do the 2027 winter sales start in Spain?

Whenever each store wants. There has been no official date since 2012. The usual date is 7 January, which in 2027 falls on a Thursday.

When are the 2027 winter sales in France?

According to the current rule, from Wednesday 6 January to Tuesday 2 February 2027. They start at 8 in the morning and last four weeks.

Which country starts first?

Among those with a fixed date, Andorra, where last winter started on 26 December. Then come Belgium and Luxembourg, on Saturday 2 January 2027.

Do online sales have the same dates as physical stores?

In France, yes: online commerce follows the national dates. In Spain the date is free for everyone, whether they have a physical store or not.

How long do the sales last?

Four weeks in France. Up to one month in Belgium and Luxembourg. In Portugal, whatever the store wants as long as it does not exceed 124 days a year. In Spain and Germany there is no limit.

When are the 2027 summer sales?

In France, from Wednesday 23 June to Tuesday 20 July. In Luxembourg, from Saturday 26 June to Saturday 24 July. In Belgium, from 1 July to 31 July. In Italy they are expected to start on Saturday 3 July. In Spain, by custom, from 1 July.

Is Black Friday a sale?

Not in the legal sense. It is a promotion, and in countries with a fixed calendar it is not announced with the word reserved for sales. The previous 30-day price still applies.

Conclusion

In 2027, the winter sales start on 2 January in Belgium and Luxembourg. According to each country’s rule, on the 5th in Italy and on the 6th in France. And on the 7th, by custom, in Spain. If you sell in Spain, Portugal or Germany, the date is up to you. Everywhere else, the calendar of the customer’s country applies. In all cases, the crossed-out price must be the lowest of the last thirty days.

This article is for information only and does not replace the advice of your accountant or legal advisor. Dates marked as expected are confirmed when each administration publishes its calendar.

Useful links

• January sales 2027 in Spain: when they start and what the regulations say.
• EHERO WooCommerce Discount: bulk discounts with a start and end date.
• Article 25 of Ley 7/1996, in the BOE, Spain’s official gazette.
• Sales dates in France, on Service Public.
• 2027 sales dates in Luxembourg, on the Luxembourg government portal.
• Sales, promotions and clearances in Portugal, on the ASAE.
• Regulation of sales in Andorra, on the Andorran government portal.