When to get the best Christmas shopping bargains in France

It's not yet December, but you might want to start thinking about doing your Christmas shopping soon, according to a new price comparison study.

Published: 23 October 2020 10:05 CEST

When to get the best Christmas shopping bargains in France

Last-minute Christmas shopping is more expensive. Photo: AFP

Buying presents just before setting up the Christmas tree is likely to cost you, according to a new study by Idealo, company specialising in price comparisons.

The study, revealed in Le Parisien, looked at how prices of typical Christmas presents evolve in the twelve weeks running up to December 24th.

The study only compared prices online, but with Covid-19 making gift shopping a somewhat different affair this year, chances are many will seek to get their gifts sent to their door.

The study divided the types of presents into four categories: toys and games, lifestyle products (perfumes, backpacks), technology (smartphones, speakers, iPads) and household products (coffee machines, food processors and the like).

In most cases, no matter the category, the ideal moment to purchase a gift was found to be between four and six weeks before Christmas, an Idealo spokesperson told Le Parisien.

You can see the best and worst moments for each group detailed in the graphic below.

A quel moment acheter ses cadeaux de #Noel pour obtenir les meilleurs prix ? >> https://t.co/lRW6RwYZvK pic.twitter.com/Ak0QBsvqyy

— Le Parisien Infog (@LeParisienInfog) October 22, 2020

The absolute best deals occur between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when lots of stores offer flash sales and bargain discounts. This year Black Friday falls on November 27th and Cyber Monday on November 30th.

“After that, it will be more difficult to find the good prices,” the Idealo spokespersons said.

However, there are exceptions to the rule and bargain hunters should watch out for false good deals, as some items – especially those found in tech aisles – can actually be more expensive during the bargaining period than, say, just one or two weeks before Christmas.

Popular items like Playmobil frequently increase in price. Photo: Marcus Spiske on Unsplash

Popular items and toys such as Lego and Playmobil are however sure to get more expensive the closer Christmas gets, so these are safe to purchase well in advance.

It's the same for lifestyle products such as perfumes, which are sold all year long, and household items such as mixers and wine shelves.

“The best offers here are around seven weeks before Christmas and on Black Friday. After that, prices surge,” the spokesperson said.

Due to the pandemic, there are some uncertainty to the study’s conclusions. Many products could disappear out of stock before Christmas if shops close or if people avoid them to shop online, the Idealo spokesperson said.

Some items have already seen their prices affected by the virus. Household items have become more expensive since the lockdown, according to an different study published by Le Parisien.

The company also warned those ordering gifts online to beware of delays in receiving their gifts.

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