Black Friday most important day for retail, says employers' association

Imported from the US, the Black Friday sales are becoming increasingly important in Luxembourg's retail sector. After the regular sales, Black Friday is now the most important date in the calendar for shops and forms the start point for Christmas shopping, says Paul Ernster, representative of the Luxembourg Confederation, an association representing employers' interests.

Traditional shopping events such as "Mantelsonndeg" (Coat Sunday) or the Braderie market have displayed a tendency to drop off a little each year. Although Ernster could not supply concrete data on how much Black Friday affects retailers in Luxembourg, he said it is "the period where it counts".

Ernster said he could understand that consumer associations view the hype of Black Friday more critically, and agreed that there should be more regulation to ensure retailers do not manipulate prices. Businesses that cheat in this manner should be punished.

Stable purchasing power in Luxembourg

Despite high inflation and "disproportionately expensive" items, Ernster said that Luxembourgers still possess relatively high purchasing power. In contrast, Germany's retail sector is expecting a decline in Black Friday sales this year due to the negative consumer climate, but Ernster believes he will see positive Christmas business in Luxembourg this year.

Retailers hoping for benefits from a clearer legal framework on opening hours 

When asked about Sunday work and opening hours, Ernster expressed optimism that it would be the last Christmas season in which retailers would require exemptions in order to open on Sundays.

In his eyes, a future legal framework for Sunday working hours would have positive effects, as the customers would effectively decide when shops open.

Not a fan of Black Friday protests 

Ernster views trade union protests on Black Friday as a negative. He said although it might be an interesting day for unions to demonstrate, he was not a fan of protest actions on a day he felt should be a pleasant day for shoppers and for retailers to increase purchasing power.

Amazon the "big winner" of the day 

When asked about the international protest action in 30 countries against online ecommerce giant Amazon, under the slogan "Make Amazon Pay", Ernster said that retailers could not ignore the American multinational and that it was certainly the big winner of the day. In stationary retail shops, it was necessary to give customers a reason to come into the shop in person instead of shopping online, he added.