The lower house of the German parliament, the Bundestag, last
week abolished restrictive retail laws that prevented the
advertisement of discounts and rebates. These laws were considered
out-dated and overly restrictive for businesses seeking to market
products to German consumers over the internet.04 Jul 2001
The laws forbid common marketing tools such as “2 for 1 offers” and money back guarantees, where companies wished to promote their products in Germany.
The relaxation of the laws, which were introduced before World War 2, will come as a relief both to German e-tailers and to those operating in other countries that want to target German consumers.