Despite the series of promotions which become permanent, the sales remain a privileged moment for the French who devote a significant budget to them each year. During the 2025 sales, they spent 245 euros on averageaccording to a Oney study.
Purchases that fill or even clutter their cupboards: 44% of French people declare to have clothes still new at homeaccording to theEcological Transition Agency (Ademe). THE Refashion Barometer published last June shows that each person buys on average 43 new pieces per yearof which 26 clothes. A significant volume, while several hundred thousand tons of clothes still end up in the trash each year.
Become aware of and avoid impulsive purchases
The offer is increasing, prices are falling and promotions are becoming more widespread, which encourages impulsive purchases, especially during sales. According to Ademe, half of French people buy fast-fashion clothing, 24% regularly turn to ultra fast fashion (Shein, AliExpress, Temu, etc.) and 20% buy clothes every month, or even several times a month.
“But just because we find a pretty piece doesn’t mean it’s made for us. We are not obliged to own what we find beautiful», recalls Catherine Ho, anthropologist specializing in fashion, in the Guide to resisting fast fashion published by the Zero Waste association.
This guide explains that fast and ultra fast fashion, through their ephemeral collections and their promotions, maintain the idea that we have “need this new part right away”pushing us to accumulate clothes that do not meet any real need.
Question your needs
Faced with this sense of urgencyconsumers can resist with the help of KISS methodfor “need, immediate, similar, origin, useful”. It consists of “ask yourself with each purchase intention if you really need this item of clothing. Don’t we have one similar at home? Is it worth buying this sweater in the middle of August? Am I sure I love this plaid jacket?», details the method online.
Read the composition of the garment, touch it, try it on… Checking out should not be done in a feeling of haste and urgency. “What’s the hurry? I’m sure if you don’t buy this item of clothing right away, you’re not naked.”underlines Audrey Millet, author of Black Book of Fashionin the Zero Waste guide.
Restore value to your clothes
According to Ademe, the French estimate they have approximately 78 piecesbut hold some in reality 172 on average. This gap shows not only an increasingly superficial relationship with the use of clothes, but also a clear lack of lasting connection with them.
For her part, Catherine Ho advises changing your relationship with clothes. “We can see clothing as an investment. The more we love it, the more we will take care of it and keep it for a long time.”. She reminds us that a garment has an intrinsic value that goes beyond its price and that a real attachment prolongs its use.
The guide also invites you to wear more of what you already have, to put the pieces together differently, to repair or have them retouched if necessary. By reconnecting with their clothes, consumers can limit the temptations of sales and not give in to the lure of compulsive purchases.
