The last Friday in November is known all over the world as Black Friday - the day when merchants lower the prices of their products. Black Friday originates from the United States of America and is directly related to Thanksgiving. This custom has spread to almost the entire world and gained popularity among shopping lovers.
However, opinions about Black Friday in Serbia they are still divided. While a part of Serbian consumers wait for this day in order to take advantage of discounts, others believe that it is overpriced, that sellers often increase the price of products beforehand, only to "lower" it later.
consumer protection law
Amendments to the Law on Consumer Protection were proposed precisely to prevent the practice of fraudulent price reduction actions. If adopted, retailers will be required to provide consumers with a digital catalog in which they will be able to compare previous and current prices. This law should be adopted by the end of this year.
Although the practice used by many sellers in Serbia is illegal, it has not had legal consequences in practice so far. According to the Law on Advertising and the Law on Consumer Protection, "misleading advertising" is most often done. In theory, the penalty for this is up to two million dinars, however, the punishment mechanism is ineffective.
This type of business has been transferred to the online sphere. We often see sales promotions in online sales where the seller warns the consumer that the promotion will disappear if the product is not purchased within a short period of time.
An interesting example from Belgium
There are other examples as well. Belgian football club Union Saint-Gilles has informed its fans that it will not be offering any Black Friday deals.
"In order to remain consistent with our anti-spending approach, Union Saint-Gilles has decided not to offer Black Friday promotions," the club said.
However, the club will still do something for Black Friday - they will donate 10 percent of the sales made this week to the "Les Petits Riens" association. This association is a non-profit humanitarian association from Belgium, which is best known for its system of humanitarian "second-hand" stores.
Fans can also donate clothes on the day of the weekend match at the club premises, which will be given a "new life" and go to those who need them more.
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