Soldes!

The malls are jam-packed, the streets are filled with greedy shoppers...'tis the season for sales in France! I recently learned that stores in France are only allowed by the government to put their merchandise on sale at certain times of the year. (French government regulates retail establishments in many ways, even restricting days and times of operation). The winter sales, or "soldes" in French, start in early January and continue for 5 weeks. Most of merchandise is deeply discounted during the soldes, usually about 40-60% off, and even more for clothing stores that are discontinuing seasonal attire. That's good news for expats like me who have been reeling from sticker shock ever since arriving in this country.

I'm not much of a shopper, but I can't resist a great deal. So I've ventured out recently to browse what the stores have to offer. Yesterday I went into a sporting goods store and picked up a great running jacket for only 10 euros! Score! Mostly, though, I just wander through my neighborhood, peeking into the classy boutiques that line our street. The French have a special expression for "window-shopping": faire du lèche-vitrines, which literally means "window-licking." And no wonder: the storekeepers take pride in creating breathtaking window displays to lure in the customers, such as the one below -- a color wheel made out of shoes. I've spent long, lingering minutes in front of windows showcasing everything from electronics to furniture to jewelry to kitchen gadgets. The best part of window shopping? No buyer's remorse!