Shopping in France

Compare prices between Lidl, Aldi and Leclerc (the cheapest), Carrefour, Auchan and Intermarché (mid-range), and Monoprix and Bio c' Bon (the dearest).

• Supermarkets have names hypermarché (the giant), supermarché and the small supérette and drive (ordering online and collecting by car).
• They work daily from eight to half past nine in the evening often, and close on Sunday afternoon.
• Weekly markets (marchés) in every district or town (ask its day) sell fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and cheese at suitable prices and high quality, and producers' markets (marchés de producteurs).
• Bakeries open early and close one day a week.
• And you must greet the seller on entering Bonjour and thank him on leaving Merci, au revoir.
• Put fruit and vegetables in a bag and weigh them yourself.
• And there are shops for organic products (bio) and second-hand goods (vide-greniers and brocantes) and clothes (Vinted).

Most shops accept the card (Carte Bancaire) and contactless payment (up to 50 euros without PIN) and the phone (Apple Pay and Google Pay), and cash is also accepted, and some small markets cash only.

• Keep the ticket de caisse, the receipt, since it is the proof of purchase for warranty and returns.
• Loyalty cards (carte de fidélité) in chains give you points and discounts (Carrefour, Leclerc and Monoprix) and apps such as Too Good To Go for surplus food bags.
• Plastic bags are banned, so bring your bag (sac réutilisable).
• And deposit containers on packaging (consigne) exist in some places.
• And note the date limite de consommation (DLC), the binding expiry date, and the date de durabilité minimale (DDM), the best-before.
• And ID is required to buy alcohol and tobacco (18 years).
• And read the labels of ingredients and origin.

Official sales (soldes) are fixed by law twice a year for four weeks: winter sales start on the second Wednesday in January, and summer sales on the last Wednesday in June (varying by region).

• During them prices are reduced 20 to 70 percent and the original price must be shown.
• And traders also offer promotions, ventes privées, Black Friday in November and French Days.
• Compare the previous price, since some shops raise prices before the reduction, and use price comparisons (idealo and LeDénicheur).
• Use codes promo and cashback (iGraal and Shopmium).
• In foods there are products proches de la date at reduced prices, and the Too Good To Go app.
• And avoid impulse buying and costly consumer credit (crédit revolving).
• And for appliances ask about the warranty duration and availability of spare parts.

The law protects the buyer with a garantie légale de conformité, a legal warranty of two years from delivery for new goods (and one year for second-hand from a trader), if non-conforming or defective: you ask for repair or replacement free then a price reduction or refund.

• And the garantie des vices cachés also applies for hidden defects.
• Tell the seller at once and keep the receipt.
• In online or phone buying you have a droit de rétractation, a withdrawal right of 14 days from receipt without justification and a refund of the amount (bearing the return), and excepted are made-to-order goods and perishable foods.
• In the shop returning for not liking is not binding but many shops offer it (15 to 30 days).
• To complain: the seller then the médiateur de la consommation free then SignalConso (the government platform) and the DGCCRF or consumer associations (UFC-Que Choisir and CLCV).
• And for the bank chargeback when paid by card.
• And a small claim can be filed.

Halal butchers (boucheries halal) and Arab, Turkish and African markets are widespread in big cities, and big chains (Carrefour, Auchan, Casino and Leclerc) allocate halal shelves in some branches, and online halal shops are available.

• Read labels since some products contain gelatine, alcohol or pork derivatives (E120 and E441), and look for an approved halal stamp.
• And derivatives: jambon, lardons, saucisson and pâté may contain pork, and dishes cooked with vin, wine.
• Do not hesitate to ask the seller about ingredients.
• And for second-hand: Leboncoin, Vinted, eBay, Facebook Marketplace and vide-greniers, and check the goods and meet face to face.
• As for fraud: beware of adverts at fantasy prices, and those requesting advance payment by mandat cash, virement, Transcash or payment outside the platform, and fake delivery messages (Colissimo and Chronopost) asking fees.
• Pay via a trusted platform and report fraud on Perceval and signal-arnaques.com.

How long is the legal warranty on new goods?