Support Small Business and Have an Ethical Black Friday
With the festive season fast approaching, so is Black Friday – the biggest shopping event of the year. Originally an American tradition to kick start the Christmas shopping season after thanksgiving, Black Friday has made its way over to European shores with a bang the past few years. Retailers are now offering discounts not only on the day itself, but in the days up to and after the event in order to maximise on the opportunity of consumers in their ‘buying mode’.
Black Friday is not the most popular shopping event for many retailers, especially small businesses who feel pressured to take part because everyone else is. The truth is, big discounts mean margins are squeezed. For big retailers this may not be as much of an issue, but for small businesses hustling to make their living, a big event like this where consumers often expect a big discount of 30% or more, it really is a big consideration.
Aside from the pressure, many small businesses (including ourselves), and even some larger businesses such as Patagonia and Fat Face feel Black Friday demonstrates the worst in unconscious consumption. The very idea of Black Friday is to buy more, for less, which is not a notion that sits well with businesses who have an ethical standpoint. When prices are slashed so low, someone pays a price, and it is usually the ones at the very bottom of the supply chain. It’s the factory workers in third world countries making the clothes and electronics for pennies, working in unsafe conditions, barely making enough to feed their families. When a product is so cheap, we usually care less about it, we are more inclined to throw it away after only a few uses, or have it sit in a cupboard somewhere, used once in a blue moon. When we buy for the sake of buying, we care less about what we are buying, and more about the perceived deal we are getting.
This throwaway mentality is having a detrimental impact on our planet, our love for more ‘stuff’ we don’t need is causing more waste and using more resources than our planet can handle. We all know the negative effects plastic is having on our planet, but did you know 300,000 tons of clothing is also going to landfill each year?
For the past couple of years, we have decided not to partake in Black Friday in the traditional sense, but instead, to donate to charities involved in the conservation of our planet. This year is no different. We have decided to donate 10% of our profits from the 23rd-25th November to the charity Client Earth. We chose Client Earth because they are a charity focused on using the power of law to protect the people and the planet. They go after governments who are the ones that can implement the biggest and longest lasting changes in our society. When we have such little time left before the damages we have done to the planet are irreversible, we need to pressure governments to start writing good laws that can protect our planet for future generations.
‘Humanity has a series of choices to make that will lead to a welcoming future world or a bleak one. The law, if deployed with a comprehensive understanding of the science, informed by economics and alert to politics, can help meet the needs of the people. That is what we will offer to all those willing to work with us, on behalf of those now living and all future generations.’ – Client Earth
We believe that the products we stock are truly special and are worth every penny paid for them. Unlike many beauty products available in major department stores, the beauty products we stock are made with love and integrity and are to be adored and used up in their entirety. The founders of each brand we stock have worked their socks off to create products you will love and that work. They are not bottles filled with false promises of less wrinkles and the magic ingredient for perfect skin. They are products made from the heart, from makers who source every ingredient and research their supply chains to ensure they are buying ethically. We want to encourage the notion of buying less and buying better.
Disclaimer: Please note, we are not saying you should not take advantage of the discounts during Black Friday. We appreciate many people look forward to purchasing a product they have been eyeing up for a long time, and a discount to help them purchase that product is certainly welcomed. However, we want to try and discourage the unnecessary purchases. The clothes you buy, wear 3 times and then forget about, or the TV you got on offer but realise it was actually an outdated model and will only last you a couple of years before needing to be replaced. We all love a bargain, but we are simply saying to take an extra minute to think more carefully about your purchases.
If you do have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We would love to chat with you if you have any further comments on this subject.
