We, the team of three, sat in TOBEFRANKS HQ in West London thinking long and hard about the subject of Black Friday (headaches are an understatement).
“As a new brand on the scene we needed to find where we sit when it comes to this dilemma”
It’s a difficult subject and we have mixed thoughts and feelings about being part of it. We can see some brands have totally boycotted Black Friday whilst others are milking it for all its worth. As a new brand on the scene we needed to find where we sit when it comes to this dilemma and like much of the fashion industry we’ve decided to do it, but do it better.
Black Friday is the starting line for the run up to Christmas. The idea was that we, the wonderful customer, could buy all our presents for all our beautiful friends and family at a cheaper price. Then with the shopping list all ticked off, presents wrapped and spare money jingling in our pockets, we have won the race. As well as this being great for the us it’s even better for the retailer! Black Friday originally got its name as this day represented the point in the year when retailers began to turn a profit, going from being "in the red" to being "in the black".
However, the reality is that this manic discount day encourages more spending than we originally intended because we end up buying much more than planned on impulse buys we never even wanted.
The problem with these impulse buys is that we don't always know if we are getting a good deal or not? We haven't compared prices, read reviews, or thought about whether we really want the item. The retailers themselves may be pushed “into the black”, but Black Friday's doesn’t do the country any favours if we all go into debt by buying things we don’t need which then essentially end up in the rubbish tip pretty soon after opening. The win win quickly becomes a loose loose.
“Whose hands do you want your hard-earned money to go into? If any.”
Instead we should take this day to think about what we want to buy and who we want to buy it from. After all, our decisions today will help the brands and retailers, good or bad, gain profits. Whose hands do you want your hard-earned money to go into? If any.
So when you see that 50% sign in the window of a store or on an appealing Instagram feed ask yourself; Do you like what this brand stands for? Does this brand match your values? Do you even want to buy the item you’re currently perving on?
So instead of a Black Friday… let’s call it Green Friday… a day to think about our purchasing power and how it impacts us and the environment, instead of just the sexy discounts.
All the love
Frankie xx
