Sales Periods: Country Overview for Europe
The sale periods vary in every European country. In Germany, the official period for winter and summer sales ended a long time ago. Since 2004, businesses in Germany have the right to decide themselves when they want to offer discounts or sales.
In this article you can find information on sale periods, currency, VAT and opening hours in each European country.
Please click on the country to get more information.
No set periods for sales.
Sales can take place all year round.
Winter sales:
Usually begins in January and lasts until February
Summer sales:
Usually from July till August
Shops’ opening hours
Legally permitted store opening hours: Monday to Friday 5am to 9pm, Saturday until 6pm
Actual store hours vary, but are usually from 9am to 6pm (grocery stores from 8am), and on Saturdays until 1pm or 5pm. Some small shops in railway stations are open later.
Currency: Euro
VAT: The standard tax rate is 20%
A reduced VAT rate of 10% applies to some goods/services (e.g. food, medicine, books, etc.).
VAT refund
Tourists residing outside the EU can receive a VAT refund for purchases over 75 euros. A special form (tax-free form) must be issued in the store, the goods must be exported within three months and the export must be confirmed by a stamp from the EU border customs office. Read more here wko.at/
Tourist information:
Winter sales:
January 3rd – January 31st (If January 3rd is a Sunday, the winter sales start on Saturday, January 2nd).
Summer sales:
July 1st – July 31st (If July 1st is a Sunday, the summer sales start on Saturday, June 30th).
Normal shop opening hours
- Monday – Saturday: 9.30am/10am – 6pm/6.30pm; Shopping Malls: 10am – 8pm
- Sunday: closed; exception touristic areas
Currency: Euro
VAT: 21%
Reduced VAT rate of 12% (e.g. restaurant services, excluding drinks) and 6% (e.g. medicines, books, basic food items and cultural/social services).
Tourist information: visitbelgium.com
No set periods for sales.
Winter sales:
Usually from January till February.
Summer sales:
Usually from July till August
The usual store opening hours
- Monday – Saturday: 10am – 9pm/10pm
- Sunday: closed, except Shopping Malls: 10am – 9pm/10pm
Note: Opening hours may vary for local shops.
Currency: Bulgarian lev (BGN)
VAT: 20%
A reduced VAT rate of 9% is used for hotel accommodation.
Tourist information: bulgariatravel.org
No set periods for sales. The Retail Shops are permitted to carry out their sale periods at any point throughout the year at their discretion. However sales tend to take place during July and January.
Shops´ opening hours
Retail store hours vary depending on the type of store and the area. In general, stores are open at the following times:
- Monday to Saturday: 7am – 9pm
- Sunday: opening at 11am – closing between 2pm to 10pm;
Some stores remain closed at lunchtime on Wednesdays and Saturdays and completely closed on Sundays, although in most tourist areas of Cyprus stores and supermarkets remain open late into the night and on Sundays.
Currency: Euro
VAT: 19% on goods and services. On some products and services VAT varies between 5% and 9%.
Tourist information: visitcyprus.org.cy
Winter sales:
From December 27th (can last maximum 60 days)
Summer sales:
From July 1st (can last maximum 60 days)
The usual store opening hours
- Monday – Friday: 9am – 7pm
- Saturday: 9am – 3pm
Sundays: Closed; Stores and malls may be open 16 or more Sundays per year. They can choose which Sundays.
Currency: Euro
VAT: 25%
There are two reduced VAT rates of 13% (e.g. cafes, restaurants, certain food, concerts etc) and 5% (e.g. bread and milk products, books, medicine, cinema tickets).
Tourist information: croatia.hr
No set periods for sales.
Retail stores can hold their sales at their own discretion, as long as legal regulations are observed.
Winter sales usually start after Christmas.
The usual store opening hours
- Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm (in Prague downtown shops close later)
- Saturday: 9am – 11am (in Prague downtown shops can be open all day)
- Sunday: closed, except for Prague downtown
Generally, shopping malls and chain stores are open 7 days a week from morning to evening (surely from 9am – 8pm).
Currency: Czech crown (CZK)
VAT: 21%
There is a reduced VAT rate of 12% which is used for certain food products, passenger air transport, hotel accommodation etc.
Tourist information: czechtourism.com
Winter sales:
From December 27th or beginning of January till February
Summer sales:
From beginning of June till end of August
The usual store opening hours
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: 9am/10am – 5.30pm/6pm
- Friday: 9am/10am – 7pm/8pm
- Saturday: 9am/10am – 1pm/2pm; Major cities: 9am/10am – 5pm
- Sunday: closed; Exception: Larger stores and department stores are open on Sundays
Currency: Danish crown (DKR)
VAT: 25%
Tourist information: visitdenmark.com
No fixed dates for sales.
Winter sales:
Usually after Christmas until February.
Summer sales:
Usually from the end of June until the end of summer.
The usual store opening hours
- Monday – Friday: 10am – 7pm; Shopping Malls: 10am – 9pm
- Saturday: 10am – 5pm; Shopping Malls: 10am – 9pm
- Sunday: closed; Shopping malls: 10am – 7pm
Currency: Euro
VAT: 22%
The standard VAT rate will increase to 24% from 1 July 2025.
Tourist information: visitestonia.com
Winter sales:
January – early February
Summer sales:
Mid-June – Mid-July
The usual store opening hours
- Monday-Friday: 9am – 9pm
- Saturday: 9am – 6pm
- Sunday: Shopping centers are usually open from 12am – 6pm
Grocery stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets are open seven days a week and may be open at 7am and at least until 9pm or even 11pm. There are also some large 24-hour convenience stores and grocery stores.
Currency: Euro
VAT: 25%
There is a 14% subsidised VAT rate for some products including books, restaurant and catering services etc.
Tourist information: visitfinland.com
In France, there are two legally regulated sales in winter and summer with a maximum duration of 4 weeks.
Winter sales
Winter sales start at 8am on the second Wednesday in January (or on the first Wednesday if the second Wednesday is after 12 January).
Summer sale
The summer sale starts at 8am on the last Wednesday in June (or the Wednesday before if the last Wednesday is after 28 June).
The same periods apply to online sales. Find out more about the sales in France.
The usual store opening hours
- Monday to Saturday: 9am – 7pm
Sunday: usually closed; however, there are twelve open Sundays per year and in international tourist zones shops are open every evening until midnight and every Sunday.
Currency: Euro
VAT: Normally 20%. However, there are also reduced rates of 10% (transport, accommodation, catering, food), of 5.5% (cinema, theatre, circus, concerts) and of 2.1% (certain medicines, magazines).
More info: Explore France
No set periods for sales.
Sales can be made at will.
Winter sales:
The winter sales usually begin at the end of January / beginning of February.
Summer sales:
The summer sales usually start at the end of July / beginning of August.
Opening hours of shops:
- Monday – Saturday: Normal opening hours approximately from 9am to 7pm.
In the individual federal states, however, other times are legally permitted: e.g. 12am – 12pm (Baden-Wuerttemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin); 6am – 8pm (Bavaria); 6am – 10pm (Saxony) etc.
- Sunday: closed; in the federal states, however, stores can open on a certain number of Sundays (in most federal states, four Sundays a year are permitted).
Currency: Euro
VAT: 19%
A reduced VAT rate of 7% applies to items such as food, books and admission to cultural events.
Tourist information: Germany-Travel.de
Winter sales:
Winter sales start on the 2nd Monday in January and end at the end of February.
Spring sales:
General from May 1 to May 10
Summer sales:
Summer sales start on the 2nd Monday in July and end at the end of August.
Autumn sales:
General from November 1 to November 10
The usual store opening hours
- Monday – Friday: 9am – 9pm
- Saturday: 9am – 3pm
- Sunday: Closed. 7 Sundays/year from 11am – 8pm (1st Sunday of each of the above 4 sales periods. The two Sundays before Christmas. One Sunday before Easter).
Currency: Euro
VAT: 24%
Reduced VAT rate of 13% for selected food items, some non-alcoholic beverages, restaurant and catering services, etc. A further reduced rate of 6% for books, theatre and concert tickets, etc.
Tourist information:
No set periods for sales.
Winter sales usually start in January.
The usual store opening hours
- Monday – Friday: 10am – 6pm; Shopping Malls: 10am – 9pm
- Saturday: 9am – 1pm or 10am – 2pm; Shopping Malls: 10am – 9pm
- Sunday: mostly closed; Shopping Malls: 10am – 6pm
Currency: Forint (HUF)
VAT: 27%
Reduced rate of 18% for some food items and open air music events, and another rate of 5% that applies to certain basic foods, pharmaceuticals, books, hotels accommodations, restaurants etc.
Tourist information: WOW Hungary
No set periods for sales.
Winter sales
Winter sales start usually in January.
Summer sales
Summer sales begin usually in July.
The usual store opening hours
- Monday – Friday: 9am/10pm – 6pm/7pm; Shopping Malls: from 10am /11am to 6pm/7pm/ 8pm
- Saturday: 10am – closing time around 4pm/ 5pm
- Sunday: Downtown: most stores are closed; Shopping Malls: 12pm – 5pm
Currency: Icelandic Crown (ISK)
VAT: 24% on most products. Reduced VAT rate of 11% for newspapers, hotel accommodation, etc.
Tourist information: iceland.is
No set periods for sales. Retailers are free to offer sales at any time of the year.
Winter sales:
Winter sales are usually after Christmas until the end of January.
Summer sales:
Summer sales are usually from June to August.
The usual store opening hours:
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday: 8am/9am/10am – 5pm/6pm/7pm;
Shopping Malls: 9am – 7pm/8pm
- Thursday: 8am/9am/10am – 8pm/9pm/10pm;
Shopping Malls: 9am – 9pm/10pm
- Saturday: 8am/9am/10am – 5pm/6pm/7pm;
Shopping Malls: 9am – 7pm
- Sunday: 10am/11am – 5pm/6pm/7pm;
Shopping malls: 10am – 7pm
Currency: Euro
VAT:
- 23% is the standard rate
- 13,5% special reduced rate for tourist related activities including restaurants and hotels.
- 0% rate for books, children’s clothes and shoes.
Tourist information:
Winter sales:
The winter sales are regulated regionally, usually from the beginning of January to the end of February or the beginning/end of March.
Summer sales:
Summer sales are regulated by regions, usually from the first week of July until mid/end of August. In Puglia and Sicily the summer sales will end on 15 September.
The usual store opening hours:
- Monday – Saturday: 9am – 8pm (shops in Italy usually close at lunchtime, around 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm)
- Sunday: closed; open in tourist areas: 10am – 8pm;
Shopping malls are often open 7 days a week from 10am to 10pm
Currency: Euro
VAT: 22%
Reduced rate of 10% (e.g. hotel accommodation, drinks in bars and cafes) and 4% (e.g. some books, some food).
Tourist information: enit.it
No set periods for sales, however, sales often occur in January and June.
The usual store opening hours:
- Monday – Friday: 10am – 7pm
- Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Shops aresometimes open on Sunday.
Shopping malls are often open 7 days a week from 10am to 9pm
Currency: Euro
VAT: 21%
Reduced rate of 12% for infant food products, books, hotel accommodation etc.
Tourist information: latvia.travel
No set periods for sales.
Winter sales:
Usually from 1 to 31 January, but can be extended until the end of winter.
Summer sales:
Usually from 1 to 31 July. But the regulations are not strict and can be extended until the end of the summer. Mid-season sales are also allowed.
The usual store opening hours:
- Monday – Saturday: 10am to 6-8pm
Some shops are open on Sundays.
Shopping malls are often open 7 days a week from 10am to 9pm.
Currency: Euro
VAT: 21%
A reduced rate of 9% is available for hotels, books and domestic passenger transport. A further reduced rate of 5% is used for newspapers, pharmaceutical products etc.
Tourist information: lithuania.travel
The law foresees two sales periods per year which are annually fixed. One period cannot be longer than one month.
In 2025 the summer sale will begin June 27th and go until July 26th.
Winter sales:
The winter sale usually begins in late December / early January.
Summer Sales:
The summer sale usually starts at the end of June / beginning of July.
The usual store opening hours:
- Monday – Saturday: 9am to 6pm/7pm; Shopping malls: 8am to 8pm
- Sunday: closed; but it becomes more and more common that shops are, for instance during sales periods, but not only, open on Sundays (“ouvertures dominicales”, exact dates can be found on the internet).
Currency: Euro
VAT: 17%
There are four reduced VAT rates: 14% (selected wines, laundry and cleaning materials etc.), 8% (cut flowers and ornamental plants, household planning, hairdressing services, etc.), 3% (food products, children’s articles, books, etc.)
Tourist information: lcto.lu
No set periods for sales. Seasonal reductions can be found throughout the year.
Winter sales:
Winter sales start usually after Christmas till February.
Summer sales:
Summer sales begin usually Mid-July till the end of August/September.
The usual store opening hours:
- Monday – Friday: 9am – 1pm & 4pm – 7pm; certain shops and larger shopping centres remain open during the afternoon: 10 am – 7pm/10pm
- Saturday: 9am – 1pm & 4pm – 7pm; certain shops and larger shopping centres remain open during the afternoon: 10am – 7pm/10pm
- Sunday: closed; except in tourist areas during summer and Christmas period/public holidays
Currency: Euro
VAT: 18%.
On some products and services VAT varies between 0% and 7%.
Tourist information: visitmalta.com
No set periods for sales.
Winter sales:
Usually in January
Summer sales:
Usually in July and August
The usual store opening hours:
- Monday – Friday: 9am – 6pm; Thursday or Friday: larger cities: 9am – 9pm
- Saturday: 9am – 5pm
- Sunday: 12pm – 5pm in larger cities; some city centres are open on just one Sunday per month
Currency: Euro
VAT: 21%
9% VAT rate for hairdressers, and bike repair shops as well food, medicines and books.
Tourist information: holland.com
No set periods for sales.
Winter sales:
Winter sales start usually December 27th or in January.
Summer sales:
Summer sales start late June until the end of July.
The usual store opening hours:
- Monday – Friday: 9am/10am – 5pm; Shopping malls: 10am – 9pm/10pm
- Saturday: 9am – 3pm/5pm; Shopping malls: 10am – 6pm
- Sunday: closed; except Shopping malls at Christmas time
Currency: Norwegian Crown (NOK)
VAT: 25%
15% for foodstuffs and beverages. 11.1% for raw fish. 12% for certain cultural and sporting activities.
Tourist information: visitnorway.com
Winter sales:
Usually from the beginning of January to the middle of February.
Summer sales:
Summer sales usually start at the end of June (the hottest time to buy is July & August, then you can buy things even 70%-90% cheaper).
The usual store opening hours:
- Monday – Friday: 10am – 7pm; Shopping malls: 10am – 10pm
- Saturday: 10am – 3pm; Shopping malls: 10am – 10pm
- Sunday: normally closed, except for selected Sundays.
Currency: Polish Zloty (PLN)
VAT: 23%
Reduced rate of 8% for some food, pharmaceutical products, children car seats, etc. and 5% for books, and some food.
Tourist information: poland.travel
No set periods for sales.
Actually, the law only allows for a maximum amount of 4 months of sales.
Winter sales:
Usually take place after winter season and can last until the end of February.
Summer sales:
Usually take place after summer season and last until first week of September.
Shop opening hours:
Traditionally, shops are open from
- Monday – Friday: 9am/10am – 7pm (some shops close for lunch “siesta”: 1pm – 3pm)
- Saturday: 10am – 1am (from January – November). In December, the shops are usually open on Saturday afternoons and sometimes Sundays.
Sunday: closed; there are plenty of shopping malls inside and outside the cities that are usually open from 10am to midnight every day of the week.
Currency: Euro
VAT: 23%
Reduced rate of 13% for some food, restaurant and café services, wine, etc. and 6% for some food, water supplies, pharmaceutical products, children’s diapers, etc.
Tourist information: visitportugal.com
Winter sales:
January 15th – April 15th
Summer sales:
August 1st – October 15th
The usual store opening hours:
- Monday – Saturday: 9am – 6pm
Shopping malls are open until 10pm every day of the week.
Currency: RON
VAT: 19%
Reduced rate of 9% for certain types of food and beverages, hotel accommodation, cut flowers, etc. and 5% for books, admission to amusement parks, etc.
Tourist information:
No set periods for sales.
Winter sales:
Winter sales usually start after Christmas.
Summer sales:
Summer sales usually start after the summer season.
The usual store opening hours:
- Monday – Friday: 9am – 6pm
- Saturday: 9am – 12pm/1pm
- Sunday: Closed
Shopping malls are open every day of the week: 9am/10am – 9pm/10pm.
Currency: Euro
VAT: 23%
Reduced VAT rate of 19%. Second reduced VAT rate of 5%.
Tourist information: slovakia.travel
No set periods for sales.
Winter sale usually starts in the first half of January.
Summer sale in the middle of June or later.
The period lasts around three weeks in both summer and winter, in some cases even a good month.
The usual store opening hours:
- Monday – Friday: 8am/9am – 8pm/9pm (shopping malls /supermarkets), small shops close earlier at 6pm.
- Saturday: 8am – 8pm/9pm (shopping malls /supermarkets); 9am – 1pm/3pm (smaller shops).
- Sunday: Closed; only shops with a sales area of up to 200 square meters are allowed to open on Sundays.
Currency: Euro
VAT: 22%
Reduced VAT rate of 9.5% for foodstuffs, books, passenger transport, restaurant/catering services, etc. and 5% for newspapers and some books.
Tourist information: slovenia.info
Winter sales: The starting date is usually 7 January, although it is possible that in certain cities, such as Madrid, winter sales may begin on 1 January. Depending on the region of Spain, the length varies and can even last until the end of March.
Summer sales: Usually from 1 July until the end of august. Depending on the region, the summer sale can last until the end of September.
In both cases (Winter and Summer sales): According to current legislation (article 25 of Law 7/1996, on the organization of retail trade), each establishment is free to choose the period and duration of the sales throughout the year. The period of sales must be displayed in the shop in a location visible to the public, even if the shop is closed.
Midseason Sales: There may be interesting mid-season discounts from March to June.
The usual store opening hours:
- Monday to Saturday: From 9am/10am to 1pm/ 2pm & from 5pm to 8pm/9pm
In tourist areas and during high season, shops are usually open until 22:00.
Shopping Malls: From Monday to Sunday from 10am to 10pm (depending on the Autonomous Community).
The Spanish legislation establishes that businesses may develop their activity – at least 90 hours during the working days of the week and a minimum of 16 Sundays and holidays per year.
Currency: Euro
VAT: 21%
Reduced rate of 10% for some foodstuffs, restaurant and catering services, night clubs, hotel accommodation, etc. and 4% for some books, some pharmaceutical products etc.
Tourist information: tourspain.es
No set periods for sales.
Winter sales:
Winter sales (“Mellandagsrea”) start usually on December 25th.
Summer sales:
Summer sales start usually the week before Midsummer until the first half of July (depends mostly on the economic sector and the geographical region).
Good to know:
- There are sales throughout the year, just not advertised as “summer” or “winter” sales. There are also “mid-season sales”.
- Look for the special signs that indicate sales. “REA” indicates a sale; “Extrapris”, used with red price tags, indicates discounts of at least 10%; and “Fynd” indicates special offers.
The usual store opening hours:
- Monday – Friday: 9.30am – 6pm
- Saturday: 9.30am – 2pm/4pm
- Sunday: closed;
Department Stores remain open until 7.00 pm or longer (larger towns only). Some are also open on Sundays: 12pm – 4pm.
Shops usually close earlier on the day before a public holiday.
Currency: Swedish Crown (SEK)
VAT: 25%
Reduced rate of 12% for some foodstuffs, non-alcoholic beverages, clothing, etc. and 6% for books, admission to cultural events, use of sport facilities, etc.
Tourist information: visit-sweden.com
No set periods for sales. You can find them at most times of the year. For example, winter sales often start on December 26th, bank holiday called “Boxing Day”.
The usual store opening hours:
- Monday – Saturday: 9am/9.30am – 5.30pm
- On Sundays shops have the right to open for 6 consecutive hours between 10am and 6pm. They must be closed on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day.
Shopping malls have more flexible hours and are open longer.
Currency: Pound Sterling
VAT: 20%
Reduced rate of 5% for some goods such as children’s car seats. 0% VAT rate for books, passenger transport as well as others.
Tourist information: visitbritain.com
The information is provided by our colleagues in the European Consumer Centres Network. It does not claim to be complete.
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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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