The origin of sales
Sales appeared in 1830 to allow department stores to clear out stocks from the summer collection before moving on to a winter collection. The aim of the stores was to reduce their stocks, manage their cash flow and sell off unsold goods as quickly as possible before offering a new collection of products.
While it is permissible to sell at a loss during these periods, some brands tend to increase their prices just before the promotion days in order to show large discounts, while keeping a good profit. A highly questionable practice...
Sales are leading us towards a society of overconsumption that does not benefit the consumer.
Black Friday, Christmas, summer sales, spring promotions... Several times a year, we look for bargains by finding a nice little top or the latest household appliance, all at knock-down prices! It's hard to resist, as these incentives to buy are omnipresent, even when we don't need them !
However, consumers have become accustomed to buying according to special offers, and little by little, they lose track of the real prices. Insidiously, consumers are buying more and more products made in low-cost countries, to the detriment of local industry and "made in France".
Sales can therefore be good deals in the short term... with disastrous consequences in the long term : jobs, environment....
The impact of sales on the environment !
Before buying, we don't think enough about the ecological impact of our purchases on the environment. The reality is that the planet can no longer support fast fashion and sales.
Fast fashion emits 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases every year. This phenomenon is even more significant during the sales period, when 100 billion clothes are sold, according to a Greenpeace report. This is a real disaster for our planet.
Fashion is the most consumed product during the sales period. Greenpeace has repeatedly pointed out the danger of this sector for our planet: energy, water, transport, greenhouse gas emissions, working conditions... all factors to be taken into account.
A new economic model
For us, it is inconceivable to offer excessive sales and to participate in commercial operations such as Black Friday. Aemium manufactures and markets natural and organic fragrances. We have only 7 fragrances in our range, all year round! We produce in smaller quantities to avoid overstocking, our production is made in France with French components, so our margin is lower. Finally, we sell our perfumes at fair prices by reducing marketing, advertising and communication costs to a minimum. We are therefore not in a position to offer you low prices, as this would not be economically viable, in the long term, for us and our French partners.
Contrary to marketing standards, we believe it is better to sell less, but better!
What if we start by buying what we really need ?