https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Struggling French retail giant Auchan has announced plans to operate all its 300 supermarkets across the country as franchises under the Intermarché and Netto banners. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251126/struggling-french-supermarket-giant-auchan-to-franchise-300-stores Wed, 26 Nov 2025 11:16:16 +0100 struggling-french-supermarket-giant-auchan-to-franchise-300-stores Businesses in France have a legal obligation to post product recalls on a dedicated online portal - so if you heard something about a potentially dangerous product but aren't sure if you are affected, you can check online. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251029/how-to-check-product-recalls-in-france Wed, 29 Oct 2025 15:03:22 +0100 how-to-check-product-recalls-in-france A French court has ordered Apple to pay around €39 million to mobile network operators over accusations it imposed unfair contract conditions to allow them to sell iPhones. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251029/apple-ordered-to-pay-french-operators-e39m-over-iphone-sales Wed, 29 Oct 2025 09:53:03 +0100 apple-ordered-to-pay-french-operators-e39m-over-iphone-sales The company behind bringing Asian e-commerce giant Shein to a landmark Parisian department store has suffered another setback as Disneyland Paris abandoned plans to open a pop-up boutique. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251024/disney-drops-out-in-latest-exodus-from-paris-store-hosting-shein Fri, 24 Oct 2025 10:44:09 +0200 disney-drops-out-in-latest-exodus-from-paris-store-hosting-shein France has brought in a new labelling to help customers pick clothes based on their environmental impact. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251002/frances-new-label-for-scoring-clothes-by-environmental-impact Thu, 02 Oct 2025 13:15:26 +0200 frances-new-label-for-scoring-clothes-by-environmental-impact Asian fast-fashion giant Shein said on Wednesday it had picked France to open its first permanent physical stores in November. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251001/shein-picks-france-for-its-first-permanent-stores Wed, 01 Oct 2025 19:23:33 +0200 shein-picks-france-for-its-first-permanent-stores The season of big-spending is upon us, as shoppers up and down the country scour the online stores and high streets of France in search of the perfect Christmas gift – but how can you be sure your purchases are safe and genuine? https://www.thelocal.fr/20241213/christmas-shopping-in-france-how-to-avoid-scams-and-fakes Fri, 13 Dec 2024 17:50:33 +0100 christmas-shopping-in-france-how-to-avoid-scams-and-fakes France's parliament on Thursday backed a string of measures making low-cost fast fashion, especially from Chinese mass producers, less attractive to buyers. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240305/french-government-takes-aim-at-fast-fashion Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:54:42 +0100 french-government-takes-aim-at-fast-fashion France's post office is experimenting with opening changing rooms in some branches to cater to online shoppers https://www.thelocal.fr/20240110/why-post-offices-in-france-are-opening-changing-rooms-for-shoppers Wed, 10 Jan 2024 18:43:00 +0100 why-post-offices-in-france-are-opening-changing-rooms-for-shoppers In France the winter sales period begins Wednesday, January 10th and is regulated by the government. Here's what else you need to know. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240102/what-you-need-to-know-about-frances-2024-winter-sales Tue, 02 Jan 2024 10:43:25 +0100 what-you-need-to-know-about-frances-2024-winter-sales New rules mean that retailers in France will have to charge a higher minimum delivery fee for book deliveries. So now might be the time to get down to your local bookshop. https://www.thelocal.fr/20231007/the-best-places-to-buy-english-language-books-in-france Sat, 07 Oct 2023 18:44:58 +0200 the-best-places-to-buy-english-language-books-in-france Shopping in France may be a bit different for consumers starting August 1st, when the country will stop automatically printing sales receipts at most stores. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230725/explained-is-france-really-scrapping-paper-shopping-receipts Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:00:17 +0200 explained-is-france-really-scrapping-paper-shopping-receipts In France, you can only shop the best deals twice a year - during 'les soldes'. Here is everything you need to know about the 2023 winter sales, which start on Wednesday throughout much of the country. https://www.thelocal.fr/20221229/everything-you-need-to-know-about-frances-2023-winter-sales Thu, 29 Dec 2022 11:15:54 +0100 everything-you-need-to-know-about-frances-2023-winter-sales In these economically and environmentally-straitened times, buying second-hand is well and truly in fashion in France. Here are some tips. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230106/where-are-the-best-places-for-buying-second-hand-in-france Fri, 06 Jan 2023 16:00:12 +0100 where-are-the-best-places-for-buying-second-hand-in-france In the extravagant world of the French luxury industry, brands used to prefer destroying their unsold goods rather than offering their high-priced products at a discount. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220206/french-luxury-houses-give-unsold-goods-a-second-chance Sun, 06 Feb 2022 11:30:42 +0100 french-luxury-houses-give-unsold-goods-a-second-chance French stores hold four weeks of sales in the winter, run to a government-mandated timetable. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220104/what-you-need-to-know-about-frances-upcoming-winter-sales Tue, 04 Jan 2022 16:06:03 +0100 what-you-need-to-know-about-frances-upcoming-winter-sales France's National Assembly passed a bill on Wednesday which will impose a minimum delivery fee for books, as a way of helping independent bookshops compete with online multinationals. https://www.thelocal.fr/20211008/france-passes-law-on-minimum-delivery-charge-to-protect-independent-bookstores Fri, 08 Oct 2021 17:48:48 +0200 france-passes-law-on-minimum-delivery-charge-to-protect-independent-bookstores With their wide range of fresh fruit and veg and extensive cheese and charcuterie selections, French supermarkets are popular with visitors - but which chain do the French themselves prefer? https://www.thelocal.fr/20210902/frances-favourite-supermarket-revealed Thu, 02 Sep 2021 12:49:16 +0200 frances-favourite-supermarket-revealed Prices for fresh food in France were up 6.3 percent in August compared to last year, according to figures released on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210901/food-and-fuel-prices-in-france-behind-rise-in-cost-of-living Wed, 01 Sep 2021 15:38:28 +0200 food-and-fuel-prices-in-france-behind-rise-in-cost-of-living British tourists travelling to France - when it has been possible - have been able to make the most of tax-free shopping since the UK formally left the EU at the beginning of 2021. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210827/explained-how-british-tourists-can-profit-from-tax-free-shopping-in-france Fri, 27 Aug 2021 17:38:27 +0200 explained-how-british-tourists-can-profit-from-tax-free-shopping-in-france