A shop in Cesson, western France. Photo: David Vincent/AP
The idea of a Black Friday shopping day is spreading to countries that don't celebrate Thanksgiving, "prompting a backlash from some activists, politicians and even consumers," AP reports.
Why it matters: Black Friday sales are expected to beat old records this year in several European countries, the Washington Post reports, as it highlights German protests against the shopping day.
Black Friday shopping has spread to France, Russia, South Africa the Czech Republic, and the U.K., per AP. Some of the pushback:
- A British consumer association found that 61% of deals advertised for Black Friday sales were actually cheaper or the same price on other shopping days.
- In Russia, consumers were warned to check to see if prices were raised before Black Friday to make deals seem better.
The bottom line: "Globalized commerce has brought U.S. consumer tastes to shoppers around the world, from Halloween candy to breakfast cereal and peanut butter, sometimes even supplanting local traditions," AP writes.
Go deeper: Climate activists protest Amazon ahead of Black Friday