By The Star Staff
Lisoannette González Ruiz, the acting secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO by its Spanish acronym), and Retail Trade Association (ACDET) President José González Suárez signed a new memorandum of understanding earlier this week in preparation for Black Friday and Christmas sales.
As expected, Black Friday sales will continue a dynamic very similar to that of past years, special sales that began as early as Nov. 10 and will extend throughout the Christmas season, with offers both in physical stores and through the internet. On Wednesday, local merchants launched their own Orange Wednesday, which urges the public to patronize locally owned businesses.
“Commerce has gone through great challenges to recover from the ravages of COVID-19, global product shortages and inflation; however, we have not lost the spirit of celebrating the Christmas season and the optimism of having a good time in sales,” said González Suárez, owner of the Pepe Ganga stores. “We want consumers to also enjoy it and have good offers for their traditional purchases in preparation for Christmas.”
He noted that the dynamics of Black Friday have been changing, and that the consumer supports and prefers sales throughout the week, since it offers more flexibility, and more options for special sales through the internet or in stores, as well as such advantages as extended hours and days during November and December.
“We are pleased that we have signed the collaborative agreement with DACO again, because thanks to this effort, in which we have been consistent for over nine years, we can offer a safe and orderly experience to our consumers,” González Suárez said.
The acting DACO secretary added that she and her work team have implemented a comprehensive meeting plan with the main businesses on the island, prior to the Early Bird Day sales, and they will be visiting the stores during that day. and during the Christmas season to ensure consumer rights, guarantee their safety and support businesses, so that service expectations are met.
“For us it is extremely important to achieve agreements like this, since they are aimed at protecting the consumer,” González Ruiz said. “This is one of those agreements that put the consumer first and foster the trust that citizens have with DACO and the businesses.”
“Our goal is for citizens to enjoy this Christmas season and the traditional special sales,” the DACO official said. “The public policy of this administration is to promote the economic activity of the island and at the same time ensure compliance with the laws and regulations, so that the rights of consumers are not violated. In this agreement we expand the alternatives that consumers will have in case merchandise runs out.”
The officials said the agreement will be in force throughout the Christmas period from Nov. 8 through Jan. 6, 2024. If a store does not have any advertised Christmas sale item available, it will offer substitute items or “rain checks” (vouchers) to customers who request them.