Should a sustainable brand do Black Friday?
November 19, 2024
It's really common for those of us in the sustainable niche to bash all over Black Friday - boycott it, ask others to boycott it, and with good reason.
Black Friday is synonymous with fast fashion and the terrible impact that is has on our environment and those that work in the supply chain. Ridiculous price slashs to unsustainable levels can only lead to unethical wages and working conditions, and unsustainable products. Black Friday sales have also been exposed as not the benefits you think they are - often scams, fake discounts or dodgy and misleading marketing. Much of the narrative around black friday focusses on panic buying, and encouraging us to over consume, which leads to anxiety, and the impact on our planet being felt for years to come as we dispose of the excessive items bought under extreme discounting that we never really needed.
At Greenfibres we're fully against these kind of practices - we believe our maketing, and business as a whole should be honest, authentic and transparent. We also appreciate that for many businesses, it's tough out there - being a smaller independent brand without the marketing and buying power of multi-national chains means that for many brands, creating a black friday promotion is necessary to keep their heads above water, and benefit from seasonal spending. There's absolutely nothing wrong with offering discounts and promotions, especially when they're clearly explained, honest and beneficial. There's a world of difference from an internaional brand offering items for just £1, to a small business offering a temporary discount of a range, or all, of their items.
So we're not boycotting black friday, but because of the connotations with unethical trading practices, we're calling it our slow shopping sale. This year, through November we're joining in with many other wonderful sustainable good hearted brands out there to offer you some helpful discounts through the month, to help you bring
So, you'll see decent discounts off specific products, and multi-buy offers when you stock up on sustainable items, all focussed on you being able to buy organic, natural and non-toxic gifts for you, your friends and your family.
To find out more about what's in store, our newsletter sends out regular emails to keep you up to date with exclusive subscriber offers and also let you know about site-wide discounts. If you're not a fan of emails, then simply check back to our site through the month to find our what's going on.
So let's take back black friday, and lets get stuck in to slow shopping. Or, maybe this is the year that you decide to release your friends and family from the burden of gift buying, and instead use the time to reconnect over a good meal, or a walk in the countryside. Enjoying time spent with loved ones doesn't need to involve
But, if you wanted to know what we've got in store then as this blog is published our plans are for discounts across varying ranges on our website up to 20%, there won't be any mega discounts or half priced products here. The only time we go beyond that is in our seasonal sales in January and the summer, where we sometimes reduce discontinued items further when we need to free up the space for new items.