Black Friday has been postponed by a week in France to enable the participation of shops currently closed because of a COVID-19 national lockdown.
Originally an American tradition held the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday has since spread around the world with retailers offering large promotions to kickstart end of year shopping. This year, it falls on November 27.
The decision to push it back by a week in France was announced by Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire on Friday in a joint statement with organisations representing supermarkets, large retail chains, and e-commerce platforms including Amazon.
“This unanimous agreement was reached with a view to allowing shops to reopen in the near future under maximum health security conditions,” the statement says.
Le Maire also praised large retailers for acquiescing to postpone the event. “It is by being united and responsible that we will overcome this economic and health crisis,” he wrote on Twitter.
The country’s Black Friday is therefore planned for December 4 although authorities have stressed it remains conditioned on the epidemiological situation.
France is currently under its second national lockdown with all but non-essential shops closed until at least December 1.
President Emmanuel Macron is to give his latest update to the French people on Tuesday evening. Shops are hopeful Macron will allow them to reopen as early as November 28.
“With the adoption of a reinforced health protocol, the postponement of Black Friday by a week and the improving health results, all the conditions are in place for, hopefully, a reopening during the November 28 weekend,” Jacques Creyssel, the head of the Federation of Trade and Distribution, said on Twitter.
euronews.com
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