Can Black Friday Ever Be Sustainable?
It is the once again that time of year where the best discounts can be found. But is it worth taking part in Black Friday?
Today is Black Friday, the notorious mega-shopping day following the American Thanksgiving. Horror stories travel across the Atlantic and tell of people physically fighting over the last good deals. But the nightmare doesn’t end there. Most companies (at least where I am) campaign for a whole week leading up to the day of deals (black week), and don’t forget that it is not over until Cyber Monday has come and gone.
There are flashy adverts, neon signs with large percentages everywhere, and people by the quadrillion. At least that is what it feels like. I am not one to take part in this yearly shopping spree, but this time my employment dictates that I participate, however, on the side of the retailer. And not just any retailer; one of the biggest in Denmark (to my UK readers, think Debenhams or House of Fraser). The troops have been called in and we are ready to hold the fort!
I’m finding myself in the eye of the storm (I think I still have some clarity and objectivity), but this begs the question: can Black Friday ever be sustainable? Are consumers being manipulated into buying in quantities and frequencies abnormal to the usual spending habits? Is there a way to shop environmentally conscious and still get the good deals? Or is it better to boycott the day altogether?
The deals are tempting, there’s no denying that. With prices on everything going up and wages staying the same, Christmas at the doorstep, and compelling campaigns it seems that Black Friday is the opportune moment to buy presents for him, her, they and them. It should hardly come as a surprise that encouraging excessive spending by employing scarcity marketing techniques has huge environmental ramifications.
Three in five Brits say they expect to partake in today’s extravaganza. An estimated £3.8 billion, £800 million more than last year, is about to be spent throughout the weekend and Cyber Monday. This leaves the average shopper with £122 out of their pockets, according to research from Finder.
In Denmark, according to Dansk Erhverv, only two in five will take advantage of Black Friday’s discounts. However, the average spending, which is also projected to be higher compared to last year, is a whopping 3650 DKK (£407).
The unprepared shopper is the easiest victim
The heightened sales are also a result of impulse purchases. Many will monitor items leading up to Black Friday and only buy the items if the prices are lowered. This can be a more conscious way of shopping, where intentional purchases are prioritised.
However, research shows that many people end up spending more than they expected. 10 % of Brits, in 2023, said they didn’t do any research prior to the shopping day and ended up buying things on sale that grabbed their attention. 6 % said that they spent more money than they could afford.
Black Friday and the forecasted weekend also fall on payday. A dangerous cocktail of readily available money and too-good-to-be-true deals may encourage more impulse spending. So, it might be worth doing some research, monitoring prices, and sticking to the shopping list when out among the flashy sales adverts.
Watch out for online spending
It used to be that Black Friday was reserved for the physical retailers and Cyber Monday was the online retailers’ response. Now it is all one big, hot mess of shopping. The switch to online shopping has caused concern for stores for a while now. Black Friday and Christmas spending is highly important for the companies’ yearly turnovers, and a lot of this is lost to foreign online retailers.
In 2024, there is another reason to ring the alarm. In Denmark, experts are concerned about Temu. The foreign shopping site was among the top three online retailers among shoppers in Denmark, but it was reported in early October that Temu had steadily crept its way to the top.
Dansk Erhverv’s research shows that 38 % of Black Friday shoppers expect to make purchases on foreign online shops, such as Zalando, H&M and Temu. Respondents were not asked specifically where they would be making their purchases, but given Temu’s increasing popularity in Denmark it is safe to assume the connection, says Niels Ralund from Dansk Erhverv.
Who’s doing it differently
The numbers are not lying. Black Friday, despite a dip in spending between 2020 and 2023 in the UK, is growing in popularity again. But there is also a growing concern about overconsumption (underconsumption core was a quick trend on TikTok earlier this year), and finding more sustainable options.
Elizabeth Magalski from Conscious Fashion Collective highlights some of the ways we might approach Black Friday or anti-Black Friday as conscious consumers and sustainable businesses.
The most important thing is to not place guilt on either shoppers or sellers for taking part in Black Friday or boycotting the faux American holiday. This will only make people less likely to engage in sustainability. Alternatives should be offered instead.
Several brands approach Black Friday shopping deals with donations or repairs that have a positive impact on the environment. Swedish fashion brand Asket is probably offering the most extreme alternative, as they close their online store completely during Black Friday.
“No new garments can be purchased on Friday at asket.com and for the entire weekend in our Stockholm stores,” said the business. It is their eighth time doing this. Instead, they offer free repairs on any garment throughout the weekend.
Lucy & Yak also have a different approach. They have launched limited-edition products to raise money for their charity partner and have done so since 2018.
And Finisterre clothing brand is donating £2 to Surfers Against Sewage, an environmental charity that protects the ocean, instead of offering a discount. They have turned Black Friday into Blue Friday and raised £34,000 in the past three years.
So perhaps there is hope that the American shopping holiday might become more sustainable with time and alternative deals.
Until then, shop smart.