Illegal and presenting a “danger” to health and the environment, counterfeits flourish on the web on the occasion of Black Friday, which has already begun in some stores, warned this Monday, November 21, the Union of Manufacturers (Unifab), a association committed to the fight against trade in these products.
A “disastrous” carbon footprint
“Attractive offers and extraordinary promotions are a blessing for unscrupulous sellers who do not hesitate to deceive consumers by selling counterfeits,” warns Unifab, which groups more than 200 companies in France, in a press release.
These counterfeit items are “synonymous with dangers to health and safety, the environment, and the economy,” the statement continued.
Generally non-recyclable, counterfeits in particular have a “disastrous” carbon footprint linked to their transport from countries of production, in particular China, and “multiplying trips to erase their tracks”.
“Its manufacture is the cause of massive dumping of toxic products in nature,” adds the association.
The counterfeit trade benefits “mafia and organized crime networks” and leads, according to Unifab, to the loss of 6.7 billion euros a year in direct sales in France. This represents “1.340 million euros in lost taxes and 38,000 jobs lost every year”.
“At a time when 80% of young Europeans care 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 is equivalent to endorsing what the ‘We condemn and jeopardize the common efforts that we must make to protect the environment,’ said Christian Peugeot, president of Unifab, quoted in the press release.
Many affected consumers
In France, in 2020, 37% of consumers bought counterfeits thinking of buying authentic products, according to Unifab. This proportion reaches 43% between 15-24 years.
An American tradition that takes root in France, Black Friday triggers a consumer spike each year during the last weekend of November with promotions that run through at least the following Monday, dubbed “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 collaboration with the Federation of Electronic Commerce and Retail distance (Fevad).
Source: BFM TV
