(AFP/Archives/Sameer Al-DOUMY)
Illegal and presenting a “danger” for health and the environment, counterfeits flourish on the web on the occasion of Black Friday, which has already started in some shops and is officially held on Friday 25, alert Monday the Union of manufacturers (Unifab), an association engaged in the fight against the trade of counterfeit articles.
“Attractive offers and extraordinary promotions are a godsend for unscrupulous sellers who do not hesitate to mislead consumers by selling them counterfeits”, warns in a press release Unifab, which brings together more than 200 companies in France.
These products are “synonymous with dangers to health and safety, the environment, as well as the economy”, continues the press release.
Generally non-recyclable, counterfeits in particular have a “disastrous” carbon footprint linked to their transport from the countries of production – in particular China – and to the “multiplication of journeys to cover their tracks”.
“Their manufacture is the cause of massive spills of toxic products in nature,” adds the association.
The trade in counterfeits benefits “organized crime and mafia networks” and leads, according to Unifab, to the loss of 6.7 billion euros per year in direct sales in France. This represents “1.34 billion euros in lost taxes and 38,000 jobs lost each year”.
“At a time when 80% of young Europeans feel concerned about preserving the planet (according to a study carried out by the ObSoCo institute for Greenpeace France in February 2022, editor’s note), buying counterfeit products amounts to endorsing what the ‘we condemn and jeopardize the common efforts that we must provide to protect the environment, “said Christian Peugeot, the president of Unifab, quoted in the press release.
In France, in 2020, 37% of consumers bought counterfeits thinking of acquiring authentic products, according to Unifab. This proportion reaches 43% among 15-24 year olds.
An American tradition that takes root in France, Black Friday leads to a peak in consumption each year during the last weekend of November with promotions extending most of the time until the following Monday, called “Cyber Monday”.
In France, 70% of people who have already made purchases on the internet intend to participate in Black Friday this year, according to a survey by the Toluna Harris Interactive institute, carried out in partnership with the Federation of e-commerce and distance selling (Fevad).
© 2022 AFP
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