The summer sales start on Wednesday 1 July; most retailers are kicking off the sales period with discounts of up to 30%.
The ruling by the Council of State, which means the use of the word ‘sales’ outside this period is no longer prohibited, will not affect the inspections planned by the Economy Ministry.
Most retailers still have 20% to 40% of their collections on the shelves. They plan to offer discounts of up to 30% during the first few days. Sales have fallen dramatically in recent weeks.
Due to the heat, many people stayed away from the high streets. Additionally, many retail premises lack air conditioning, meaning that people who wanted to buy clothes headed for large, air-conditioned shopping centres.
Most retailers are concerned about the Council of State's ruling that the use of the term 'sales' is no longer a criminal offence outside the statutory periods in January and July.
They fear this will harm their business and are calling on the Federal Government to review and amend the law.
The Economy Ministry states that enforcing Article VI.25 of the Economic Law Code is not currently a priority. "The rules on price labelling, reference prices and misleading pricing, restricted periods and selling at a loss do, however, remain subject to inspections."
