No more ‘Buy One, Get One’ event in France

No more ‘Buy One, Get One’ event in France. February. 02, 2018 08:36. mskoh119@donga.com.
It is easy to see “1+1” products at convenience stores or supermarkets. In the United States, it is called “Buy One, Get One” or “BOGO.” Even if it is a product that was not on the shopping list, BOGO deals make shoppers thinking about purchasing.

Most of products purchased by impulse by the powerful temptation of BOGO usually become chunks of troubles. More than anything, BOGO food often takes space in the refrigerator, get spoiled and thrown away. Buying two items for the price of one may seem like a benefit, but buying an unnecessary product is a waste for both the individual and the society. This is the reason why the French government has recently put BOGO marketing on its restriction list.

The trigger of this whole story was the so-called “Nutella Riot.” Nutella is a famous brand name of a chocolate hazelnut spread, which is eaten by spreading it on a slice of bread like butter. It’s sweet enough, earning the nickname of “the devil’s jam.” Recently, French supermarket chain Intermarché had a special sale by discounting 70 percent of Nutella’s regular price at 4.50 euros. Excited consumers stampeded into the stores all over France. During the competition to buy more jars, shoppers got into a hand-to-hand fight scene by pulling each other’s hair and punching each other. The French Ministry of Finance was shocked and announced to check if Nutella’s BOGO event has violated the fair trade law, and the Ministry of Agriculture has restricted BOGO deals.

The French government submitted Wednesday a bill including a regulation that prohibits selling food items with 34 percent or more discount. This completely blocks BOGO deals, which is a 50 percent discount. This decision comes from the government’s goal to protect farms from discount competition and reduce food waste. Korean entertainer Kim Saeng-min, who has become a “top celebrity” last year, created a new trend that emphasizes reasonable consuming habit, by shouting “stupid” when scolding foolish consuming, and shouting “great” for a proper and upright consuming. If you think “not buying BOGO items is a loss, you’d better recall Kim Saeng-min’s saying, “If you don’t buy it, it’s 100 percent discount.”