Summer sales in Belgium postponed until August

Following lobbying from the retail sector to postpone the annual summer sales period, federal minister of consumer affairs Nathalie Muylle (CD&V) has announced that sales will begin on 1 August. The summer sales normally take place in July.

While the proposal still has to be approved by the federal council of ministers, this is somewhat of a formality as the decision has full party support, said Muylle. This means that the sperperiode, the month before the sales in which shops may not offer discounts, will move to July.

“We have submitted a proposal to postpone the sales period to 1 August, and to make the previous month the sperperiode,” Muylle told Radio 1 this morning. “There were many requests from the sector to make the sales situation clear, and now we have offered that clarity.”

In Belgium, sales periods are mandated by law. The summer sales period is in July, while the winter sales period is in January. Shops are severely limited in how they can offer discounts outside of that period

The retail sector wanted the summer sales period to be postponed as there was a concern that spring and summer stock would immediately have to be offered at discounted prices, not allowing them to make up any of the loss from the shutdown period.