After a mixed month of July, Mende traders are heading for the summer sale

The racks will be unpacked in the street during the summer sale. Midi Libre – Corentin Migoule

Due to sometimes capricious weather and a late arrival of tourists, the sales results are mixed for the traders of the Lozère prefecture who are now waiting for the summer sale, scheduled from Thursday 1st to Saturday 3rd August 2024.

The summer sales, which began on June 26, ended on Tuesday July 23, 2024, under a radiant sun, which was not always the case during these four weeks of promotions. The results are therefore mixed for the traders of the Lozère prefecture who are now waiting for the summer sale organized by the Cœur de Lozère trade office at the beginning of August.

“It's quieter than last year”, notes Alexandra Pereira, manager of the ready-to-wear boutique Alex Mode et conseils, rue du Soubeyran. If the good attendance on the last day of the sales allowed her to “work well", the shopkeeper points out a drop in the number of tourists in the alleys of Mende, just like her colleague Anna Gonçalves, a saleswoman at Salvestri, rue Droite.

A "very good month of July" for some

"It's the year that worked the least well!", assures the latter with her five years of seniority. The fault lies in a "lower attendance than last year" in his eyes, attributable to "the’impact of the crisis" which limits budgets. "Even when they give gifts, customers limit themselves to a pair of suspenders or a belt", adds Anna Gonçalves, whose store offers the following deal: buy one item, get the second one free (the cheaper of the two).

To stand out from the crowd, Place aux hommes, a men's ready-to-wear boutique on Rue de la Liberté, has struck a chord with us, where old collections are being sold off. For the past few days, the “buy one, get two free” deal has been attracting many customers to hunt for a bargain in the aisles. Co-manager of the store, Romain Brouzet therefore assures us that he had a "very good month of July" and notes that tourists "are starting to arrive".

The summer sale in sight

"We are happy even if there is still some stock", he insists between two requests from customers who are trying things on and want to know his opinion. If the rue Droite where she has been installed since the end of last June is "too quiet" for his taste, Anne-Sophie Perrin's leather goods store is a hit for its debut in the Mende economic landscape. “Look at the racks, they're decimated”, rejoices the manager of this test store who didn't resort to sales.

“Let's hope it lasts !”, likes to hope for the one who benefited from great media coverage at the time of the inauguration of her store. While summer seems to have finally arrived in Lozère, the traders are now setting their sights on the flea market scheduled from Thursday 1st to Saturday 3rd August. On this occasion, the latter are authorized to unpack the unsold items from the sales in front of their establishment.

Treat yourself at low prices, provided you find your size

“In general, it works well! Let's hope it's the same this year", Anna Gonçalves reckons, who is waiting for instructions from her manager regarding the promotions to apply. "I'm thinking about an offer that could be attractive", Alexandra Pereira concedes, free to set her own discounts.

The Place aux hommes store will try to maintain its good momentum by opening an additional location on the other side of the street for the occasion, where end-of-line items will be displayed. "You can treat yourself at low prices during the sale if you can find your size", Romain Brouzet sums up. Proof, if any were needed, that local commerce still has a bright future ahead of it.

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