Black Friday in France: shop smart or simply buy less?
Updated: Sep 22
Every year, at the end of November, Black Friday appears again in shop windows, online and in our inboxes. For a few days, discounts seem to be everywhere, and sometimes they are difficult to escape.
I’ll be honest: I’m not a big fan of shopping. I love taking my students to Provençal markets, stepping into small local shops and showing them the shopping streets of Aix-en-Provence or Marseille. But when it comes to doing my own shopping, I much prefer staying comfortably at home and ordering online.
Still, I find Black Friday interesting. Not just because of the discounts. This tradition from the United States is also a good example of how foreign customs arrive in France, gradually become part of our daily lives and eventually find their way into our vocabulary.
And above all, it raises an interesting question: is a bargain really a bargain if we buy something we don’t actually need?
Where does Black Friday come from?
Black Friday comes from the United States. It takes place on the Friday after Thanksgiving and traditionally marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Today, it also exists in many other countries, including France. Black Friday takes place every year on the last Friday of November.
Its name literally means “vendredi noir” in French, but in France, we almost always use the English expression “Black Friday”.
There are several explanations for the origin of the name. One of the best known comes from Philadelphia, where the expression is said to have been used in the 1960s to describe streets packed with cars and shoppers after Thanksgiving.
Today, this origin has largely been forgotten. When we talk about Black Friday, we mainly think about discounts and shopping.
How did Black Friday become popular in France?
Black Friday is not a French tradition. Yet, over the years, it has become an important date in the retail calendar.
Large retailers and online shopping websites began offering discounts for the occasion. Then the phenomenon grew. Today, the offers do not always last for just one day. You will often see expressions such as “Black Week” or “Cyber Monday”.
But there is an important difference to understand when learning French: Black Friday and les soldes are not the same thing.
In France, les soldes are specific sales periods regulated by law. A promotion, on the other hand, can be offered at other times of the year. Black Friday is therefore a promotional event rather than an additional official sales period.
It is a small cultural detail, but also a useful vocabulary point. In French, we say les soldes in the plural when talking about the sales.
Is a discount always a good deal?
Seeing “-30%”, “-50%” or even “-70%” can make us feel that we need to buy quickly. But sometimes it is worth taking a closer look at the price.
In France, when a retailer announces a price reduction, the reference price must correspond to the lowest price charged by that retailer during the previous thirty days. This rule helps prevent misleading promotions where a price is increased shortly before being presented as heavily discounted.
But even when the discount is genuine, another question remains: did we need this item before discovering that it was cheaper?
This is where Black Friday becomes, for me, more interesting than simply a question of shopping. It also encourages us to think about the way we consume.
Buying less, but perhaps buying better
In recent years, Black Friday has also prompted different reactions in France. Some people use the discounts to buy something they were already planning to purchase. Others prefer not to take part or look for alternatives to mass consumption.
ADEME, the French Agency for Ecological Transition, suggests asking ourselves a few questions before making a purchase: do I really need it? Can I wait? Do I already own something that could serve the same purpose? Could I buy it second-hand, borrow it, rent it or repair something instead of buying new?
This way of thinking appeals to me much more.
In Provence, I also enjoy showing my students a different way of shopping. At a market, in a small shop or directly from a local producer, shopping is not only about buying an object or a product. You can have a conversation, ask a question, find out how something was made or simply take the time to look around.
And for someone learning French, all these little situations also become opportunities to practise the language.
Shopping in French: useful vocabulary
When learning a language, we often think that we need to know a lot of vocabulary before we dare to speak. But sometimes, just a few words are enough to manage an everyday situation.
During an immersion, you can use this vocabulary in a shop, at a market, when looking at a sign or simply during a conversation.
French | English |
Une réduction | a discount |
Une promotion | a special offer / promotion |
Les soldes | the sales |
Une bonne affaire | a bargain / a good deal |
Un prix | a price |
Un prix barré | a crossed-out price |
Un code promotionnel | a promo code |
La livraison gratuite | free delivery / free shipping |
Un remboursement | a refund |
Un retour | a return |
Échanger un article | to exchange an item |
Comparer les prix | to compare prices |
It is also useful to know a few simple phrases: Combien ça coûte ? (“How much does it cost?”), Est-ce que cet article est en promotion ? (“Is this item on sale?”), Est-ce que je peux l’essayer ? (“Can I try it on?”), Puis-je payer par carte ? (“Can I pay by card?”) or Est-ce que je peux échanger cet article ? (“Can I exchange this item?”).
These are very simple phrases. But when you manage to use them naturally in a real-life situation, they suddenly become much more meaningful than when you learn them only from a textbook.
Learning French through everyday life
This is also what I love about language immersion.
Learning French does not only mean studying grammar for a few hours in the morning. The language continues throughout everyday life: over a meal, during a walk or an excursion, at the market or while talking to a shopkeeper.
A word you came across in the morning may appear again in the afternoon. An expression studied during a lesson may suddenly be heard in a shop. A sentence you were hesitant to say may become useful just a few hours later.
Black Friday may therefore seem very far removed from a French immersion in Provence. In reality, it perfectly illustrates what I love to share: understanding a language also means understanding the habits, expressions and little things that are part of everyday life in a country.
And sometimes, a simple “-30%” sign can become the beginning of a conversation in French.
Black Friday: shop smart or simply buy less?
I don’t think there is one universal answer to this question.
Black Friday can be a good opportunity to pay less for something we genuinely need. But it can also encourage us to buy simply because we are afraid of missing a discount.
So perhaps the most important thing is simply to take a few seconds before clicking “buy”.
Compare, think, choose… and sometimes decide that, actually, we don’t need anything at all.
FAQ about Black Friday in France
When is Black Friday in France?
Black Friday takes place on the last Friday of November. The date therefore changes every year.
Is Black Friday a French tradition?
No. Black Friday comes from the United States. It later spread to many other countries, including France.
Are Black Friday and les soldes the same thing?
No. In France, les soldes are specific sales periods regulated by law. Black Friday is a different type of promotional event.
How do you say “Black Friday” in French?
In everyday life, French people generally use the English expression “Black Friday”. The literal translation would be vendredi noir, but this is much less commonly used.
How can you tell if a discount is genuine in France?
When announcing a price reduction, a retailer must use the lowest price charged during the previous thirty days as the reference price. It is still a good idea to compare prices before buying.
Can you practise French while shopping?
Of course. Asking about a price or a size, asking for advice, trying on clothes, understanding a discount or talking to a shopkeeper are all everyday situations that allow you to use French in real life.
Experience French in everyday life in Provence
Ultimately, this is what I love most about my work: showing that French does not stop at the classroom door.
It is everywhere. In a conversation around the table, on a sign in a street in Aix-en-Provence, at the market, in a small shop or during an excursion. Every day brings new words, but above all, new opportunities to use them.
If you would like to learn French differently and practise it at the heart of everyday life, I would be delighted to welcome you for a French immersion in Provence.
See you soon in Provence,
Virginie
Comments