4 approaches to Black Friday - and how they affect your sustainability image

Sale! Sale! Sale!

That’s the sound of one of the largest global shopping events.

Black Friday.

Of course, we have to look at it from a sustainability perspective, which we would love to share with you.

Because when it comes to sustainability, Black Friday is not all that great. 

And why is that?

Big sales equals buying more (also stuff we don’t need), encouraging overconsumption.

And low prices equals pressure on suppliers to manufacture at low costs, meaning lower wages and more hours for workers in your supply chain.

So how you act on Black Friday greatly affects you.

To help you make an informed choice about your Black Friday campaign, we present four different approaches to take and how they may affect your sustainability image.

4 approaches to Black Friday - pros and cons

#1 The classic, "save a lot of $$$" campaign

Taking this approach means following the common Black Friday tradition of huge sales and discounts.

#2 The "we're not participating" stance

Some choose to not participate and rebel against the Black Friday movement by closing their stores on Black Friday.

#3 The "save the world while you shop" campaign

With this approach, it is common that a share of the proceeds, if not all, is donated to a charitable cause.

#4 The "business as usual" non-campaign

As the name suggests, companies that take this approach don’t participate in Black Friday but also don’t close their shops.

For them, it’s simply another day.

Our recommendations:

  • Don't encourage hyperconsumerism (i.e. avoid the crazy discounts and free shipping)

  • Talk about the nature of Black Friday and its challenges

  • Honestly communicate your approach and the reasons behind it

  • If you choose to collaborate with an NGO or similar, make sure to choose something that is in line with your brand identity

Having focused on Black Friday, we must not forget the other big sale waiting right after: Cyber Monday.

Our advice remains the same – consider which approach is best suited for you, and which pros are worth the cons. 

ANNE KATRINE BLIRUP