It’s almost here. That day when everywhere you look, too-good-to-miss bargains beckon temptingly. Prices tumble, queues form and the nation seems to go into automated purchase mode. Yes, Black Friday is nearly upon us.
What’s the story behind Black Friday?
The day itself has its roots all the way back in 1960s’ Philadelphia USA. On the day between Thanksgiving and the annual Army versus Navy football game, traditionally held on the Saturday, tourists and shoppers descended on the city. The local police took to calling the day ‘Black Friday’ as it meant chaotic traffic, long hours and usually, bad weather. For the local shop owners, however, it meant boom time as sales soared thanks to the influx of customers. In later years, the name reflected the fact retailers went out of the red and into the ‘black’, thanks to the explosion in sales.
In 2010, Amazon introduced the concept to the UK, and in 2013 Asda was the first home-grown retailer to have the event in-store. The rest, as they say is history, as Black Friday has now become part of people’s traditional run-up to Christmas.
Is Black Friday all it appears to be?
Whilst undoubtedly there are savings to be made, look a little deeper and beneath the surface a different Black Friday story starts to emerge.
Let’s start with those prices. Consumer experts Which, found that 98% of the bargains advertised on Black Friday in 2020 were available cheaper or at the same price six months later. In fact some reports claim shoppers over-pay by hundreds of pounds on the big day, as retailers have sneakily inflated prices leading up to Black Friday.
So spend some time checking before you spend, spend, spend on Black Friday bargains that might leave you seeing red!
Black Friday could be costing us the earth
Then there’s the question of the environmental impact of Black Friday. With research showing that as much as 80% of Black Friday purchases end up as waste or landfill after a very limited lifespan, perhaps it’s time we started to re-think our approach to sustainable shopping.
What’s more, the peak in deliveries causes a real spike in the injection of greenhouse gasses into the environment. Black Friday 2020 in the UK, for instance, resulted in 429,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions—the equivalent of 435 return flights from London to New York!
Some retailers are thinking twice about Black Friday
Chaotic scenes in-stores, crashed websites and an unwillingness to be associated with an increasingly tarnished event has led some big name retailers to shy away from Black Friday. Over the years, even the likes of Asda has declined to take part in the Black Friday frenzy. This has gathered momentum in France and the USA where retail consortiums have actively lobbied against the over-consumption of goods that Black Friday has come to represent.
If Black Friday gives you the blues, try a sustainable alternative
If you’re looking for a sustainable alternative to the throwaway deals that flood your screens leading up to and on Black Friday, Little Beau Sheep is here to help. As you may know, our plastic-free approach to everything we do means you can buy with a clear conscience. And as natural wool is recyclable and bio-degradable, you can shop safe in the knowledge you won’t be adding to landfill that harms the earth. On top of that, we’ve got some great takes on ideas for really different gifts at Christmas (or indeed anytime).
Get ready for the Big Green Friday Countdown.
On the twelve days leading up to Black Friday – which is on November 25th this year – there will be a daily gift idea popping up both here on the website and on the Little Beau Sheep Instagram page. It’s a fun way to get inspired and join in the excitement, without the need for any guilt trips or worries about taking part in the frenetic festive feast of consumerism.
Are you with me? Great. Then together let’s make our first Green Friday one to remember!
