Posted on 12/24/2019 2:24:59 PM PST by grundle
* A French legislative committee opened a wider debate on Monday over whether to ban Black Friday.
* The French Parliament is due to return to this issue next month.
* Environmental activists have blocked an Amazon warehouse south of Paris to protest against Black Friday.
Black Friday sales contribute to waste and overconsumption, a group of French lawmakers have said, arguing that the annual retail extravaganza should be banned.
The U.S. tradition of shopping the day after the Thanksgiving holiday has become one of the most important dates for retailers in countries all over the world. Brands try to attract customers with what’s described as more attractive pricing.
However, some French lawmakers have voiced their opposition against Black Friday due to the environmental impacts, as well as its focus on large online retailers at the expense of smaller businesses.
Elisabeth Borne, France’s minister for environmental transition, told a French radio station Thursday that she is conscious that it’s important for many French citizens take advantage of promotions and that she’s delighted if Black Friday helps small businesses. “But the truth is that it is first and foremost an enormous commercial operation by big online retailers,” she said according to CNBC translation.
Borne also criticized Black Friday for creating “traffic jams, pollution, and gas emissions,” according to news agency AFP.
A French legislative committee opened a wider debate on Monday over whether to ban Black Friday. The French Parliament is due to return to this issue next month.
“Stop overconsumption and communications that mislead consumers,” French lawmaker Matthieu Orphelin said on Twitter Monday.
Meanwhile, environmental activists have blocked an Amazon warehouse south of Paris to protest against Black Friday. There have also been other anti-Black Friday events in other parts of the country, including in the northern city of Lille and further south in Lyon.
Thank you for not pasting this onto your blog and taking credit for it.
Personal freedom and individual rights never meant much to the French.
What? The French are going to ban retail sales? Advertising?
How do you “ban” Black Friday? Make it against the law for people to shop on that day? I’m personally sick of the term “Black Friday,” but if people want to shop, and stores want to have sales, that’s their business. I just try to ignore it.
Euro-weenie socialists. It’s expected
One more reason to boycott Paris.
The old Soviet Union never had a problem with Black Friday nor any other shopping date(s). Is this the goal of these French politicos, reduce everything to the lowest denominator?
FYI: The old Soviet Union was a MASSIVE POLLUTER then came Chernobyl!
Racist.
French lawmaker Matthieu Orphelin said on Twitter Monday.
They have a "Twitter Monday," but not a "Black Friday?"
And they think we're strange.
Wait until they find out the tax revenue they’ll miss.
Yeah, who could deal with all those sales taxes across France?
Better to shutter businesses, do without the tax receipts, and cause your people to pay normal pricing instead of getting discounts.
/s
Someone needs to cut off the tongue of the Leftists that come up with this -—t.
They first need to rename it White Friday ... then it won’t be racist to ban it.
It always comes down to the same thing: People must live crappier lives from now on so things will be better in the future.
There’s a whole lot of consumin going on out there
Just typical liberals banning fun.
It’s not about black Friday.
It’s about how the French dislike anything that even remotely relates to American culture or American ideals or ideas. The environment is just an excuse to get an American idea off their French minds.
You only want to cut off their tongues? You’re generous ...
How do you ban a sale? Control freaks are weird.
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