2025 BLACK FRIDAY PRESS BRIEFING-NOVEMBER

2025-11-26

Introduction The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (“Commission”) is responsible for safeguarding and promoting competition in Zambia and protecting consumers against unfair trading practices pursuant to the competition and consumer protection act no. 24 of 2010, as amended by act no. 21 of 2023 (“the act”). In doing so, the Commission employs various initiatives to ensure that consumers attain maximum value for the products and services that they purchase. High shopping traffic seasons such as Black Friday culminate into various unfair trading practices by businesses and irresponsible consumer tendencies. Black Friday Black Friday is an internationally recognised activity which happens in November and provides an opportunity for businesses to sell their products and/or services at discounted and promotional rates to the general public. For some, the discounting of prices does not only take place only on this specific day, but almost throughout the entire month of November as a way of giving back to society. However, the Commission has in previous Black Fridays recorded an increased number of cases of unfair trading practices such as display of disclaimers, misleading deals, fake discounts, defective and expired products. Tendencies by some service providers While Black Friday or the period surrounding Black Friday can be used positively by businesses, others tend to turn to various tactics or vices that prey on the minds of consumers. These vices may take the form of misrepresentations that products or services have been discounted during Black Friday when in fact not. A good example is if one was to look at a catalogue of a service provider for the month of October, and he or she was to observe that the price of an item was k50.00; and later observes that the same item in that service provider’s Black Friday catalogue is still k50.00 with a 50% discount tag, then that service provider is preying on the minds of innocent consumers in order to entice them. Advice to consumers The Commission therefore urges members of the public to be cautious of devious traders offering deceptive promotions during Black Friday. Unfair trading practices are very common during this period as such, consumers are advised to be vigilant and practice responsible consumerism by shopping around, inquiring on warranties and guarantees, refund policies and other factors surrounding the transaction they are engaging in. As previously mentioned, fake discounts, misleading information, no refund notices, hidden costs, unfair terms and unclear prices take center stage during Black Friday. Warning to service providers The Commission wishes to urge all service providers, to ensure that you conduct your business with the utmost integrity that is expected of you by not misleading consumers with unfounded Black Friday promotions. Whilst Black Friday provides an opportunity to gain competitive advantage over others by engaging in price competition, businesses must refrain from engaging in unfair trading practices during this period. The Commission has heightened vigilance throughout the year by conducting inspections of trading places, consumer awareness activities and market surveillance through weekly price tracking. The Commission will further conduct various inspections, information desks in hot shopping zones, radio and tv programming and other initiatives and will not hesitate to hold traders accountable through investigations and subsequent paying of penalties which can be as high as 10% of an enterprise’s annual turnover; or five hundred thousand penalty units for persons.

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