Every year, the Black Friday sales seem to get bigger and bigger.
It’s easy to find yourself swept up in the discount bonanza, shopping for things you don’t really need, but buy anyway because they’re cut-price.
Not everyone is getting involved in traditional Black Friday sales on November 27th though. In an effort to combat the waste of the day and give back to the environment and communities, some brands are making positive change this year. Here’s how…
Allbirds
Time to wear your values on your sleeve. All products in our new apparel collection are labeled with their carbon footprints to help us all make more conscious decisions. Then, they will be offset to 0 with carbon offsets to ensure that our entire business stays carbon neutral. pic.twitter.com/ouXGYPPu3A
— Allbirds (@Allbirds) October 21, 2020
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Sustainable footwear and apparel brand Allbirds isn’t cutting prices, but raising them instead. Allbirds products will cost £1 (€1.12) more on Black Friday, with the brand matching each sale by £1 and donating the money to Fridays For Future – the organisation founded by Greta Thunberg to fight the climate crisis.
“Black Friday deals may satiate momentary desire, but their impact on the planet is a lot more long-lasting,” said Allbirds. “That’s why [we] wanted to do things a bit differently this year, flipping tradition and doubling down on our commitment to sustainability.”
L’Occitane
It's time to relax. Indulge in some midweek self care with our Foaming Bath🛀 Enjoy the scents of Lavender, Shea and Almond!
Shop here: https://t.co/ehZjHrlUYR 💛 pic.twitter.com/nu6S7vUyqK— L'OCCITANE UK (@LOCCITANE_UK) November 11, 2020
Beauty company L’Occitane is set to offer 20 per cent off online purchases from November 26th to November 29th, and will donate £1 (€1.12) from every hand cream sold to PUR Projet. With this money, the organisation will plant native trees across the UK.
Through money raised over Black Friday weekend and extra donations from L’Occitane, the brand hopes to give more than £46,000 (€51,575) to PUR Projet.
Deciem
Instead of doing a frantic Black Friday sale, Deciem has cut prices for its skincare brands (including The Ordinary and NIOD) for the whole of November. “Last November, we asked you to shop slowly. We said that skincare purchases should be based on education over impulse, and highlighted the importance of conscious consumption,” said the brand, and it’s doing the same this year, encouraging people to learn about products before buying, and offering a 23 per cent discount throughout the month.
“Hyper-consumerism remains one of the biggest threats to the planet and an urgent change in the way that humans produce and consume products is required. On 27th November (the day formerly known as Black Friday), we will be pressing pause,” Deciem added. “Our stores and website will be closed, once again, for a moment of nothingness.”
Baukjen and Isabella Oliver
Fashion and maternity brands Baukjen and Isabella Oliver will donate their profits from November 27th to November 30th to various charities.
The two brands form part of a collective called the House of Baukjen, and will be giving to Centrepoint, which helps tackle youth homelessness; The Trussell Trust, which fights food poverty; suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS; and the Princes Trust, which helps young people enhance their employment skills.
House of Baukjen founder Baukjen de Swaan Arons said: “It’s been such a difficult year and as an ethical and sustainable brand we don’t feel it’s right to participate and encourage hyper consumerism. We believe in buying less and buying better, which is why this year, we wanted to give back and really make a difference.”
