German Environmental Aid has called on retailers to abolish discount days such as Black Friday (November 24th) and Cyber Monday (November 27th). These and similar campaign days generate billions in sales at the expense of the environment, the climate and future generations, the German Environmental Aid (DUH) announced on Tuesday. “Instead of encouraging waste of resources, retailers should focus on a continuous supply of long-lasting products and repair services,” it said. The DUH called on consumers to use functional goods for as long as possible, to have defective products repaired or to purchase remanufactured devices.
On discount days such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, many retailers attract customers, especially online, with sometimes significant price reductions. According to critics, such promotional days promote unnecessary purchases. Environmental aid pointed out large quantities of returns that occur after such days. “If retailers are serious about their promises to protect the climate and avoid waste, then the consumer frenzy on Black Friday must finally come to an end,” said DUH Federal Managing Director Barbara Metz. (dpa)