ActiveOutdoorsSack Black Friday: these brands don’t want you to buy todayLeading outdoor brands Patagonia and Haglöfs explain why they’re turning their backs on Black FridayWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
ActiveOutdoorsSack Black Friday: these brands don’t want you to buy todayLeading outdoor brands Patagonia and Haglöfs explain why they’re turning their backs on Black FridayWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Leading outdoor brands Patagonia and Haglöfs explain why they’re turning their backs on Black Friday
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Patagonia)
(Image credit: Patagonia)
The Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are upon us once again, but not everyone - and not every brand - is on board with the price-slashing shopping frenzy that annually assaults our email in-boxes, social media streams and TV screens. Many see the sales as an unseemly orgy of consumerism thatpromotes unhealthy habits and decisions that are bad for business, workers and the planet.
Haglöfs, who make top-quality outdoor kit fromsleeping bagstohiking boots, has been taking a stand against the environmental and social perils of excessive consumption for several years, and is using this opportunity to promote second-hand products and remind customers that they offer a lifetime guarantee on all their gear, and will repair anything that fails for free. On previous Black Fridays the Swedish brand has actually increased its prices and donated profits to charities, and this year they are closing the business for the day and encouraging staff to use the time to go outside with their family and friends. (You may still see some retailers offering Black Friday discounts on Haglöfs products, but this is outside of the brands' control.)
“The environmental and social consequences of Black Friday are just too big for us to ever consider participating,” says Fredrik Ohlsson, Haglöfs’ CEO. “We hope that our contrary actions will at the very least help draw attention to the problems of excessive consumption and systematic and large-scale discounting which are taking us in the wrong direction.”
The company argues that, while seasonal sales have long been a feature of the clothing industry, allowing companies to clear stock, recent years have seen a trend towards frequent frenzied discounting, with some brands producing cheap products specifically for events like Black Friday. The consequences of this are excessive consumption, with people buying potentially sub-standard kit that they won’t use or don’t need, which has a terrible environmental impact. And beyond that, systematic discounting also contributes to driving down production costs and worker’s salaries across the whole supply chain.
Don’t shop. Go outdoors.(Image credit: Fera)
Don’t shop. Go outdoors.
Don’t shop. Go outdoors.
(Image credit: Fera)
And Haglöfs aren’t the only ones taking a stand. British brandFera- who produce excellent outdoor wear and accessories, fromfleecesand shirts toreusable mugs- are declining to discount anything over Black Friday, and instead are donating 15% of each sale made between 24th and 28th November to nature.
Memories from quality time spent outside will last a lot longer than cheap gear(Image credit: Getty)
Memories from quality time spent outside will last a lot longer than cheap gear
Memories from quality time spent outside will last a lot longer than cheap gear
(Image credit: Getty)
The kick back against Black Friday sales isn’t just a European thing either. In the United States, several big brands and retailers includingPatagoniaandREIare refusing to take part. Patagonia is a company well known for its long-standing environmental and ethical standards, and the brand’s founderrecently announcedhe was handing over all future profits the company makes to an organisation dedicated to improving and defending the health of the planet.
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The brand, which makes highly regarded adventure apparel frombase layersthrough towetsuits, has been taking out ads inprominent newspapers like the New York Timesfor over a decade (such as the one shown at the top of this story) urging people not to buy their products unless they really need them.
Shop local to help small, specialist outdoor businesses survive the storm(Image credit: Getty)
Shop local to help small, specialist outdoor businesses survive the storm
Shop local to help small, specialist outdoor businesses survive the storm
(Image credit: Getty)
However, in a tough economic environment, some small businesses are hoping sales from Black Friday and in the run up to Christmas will see them through. Over a third of small businesses make over 20% of their annual income in this crucial festive period, and the message to socially conscious shoppers from Alan Thomas, UK CEO atSimply Business, is to deliberately shop local, and to support small, specialist companies.
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