A new trend in Black Friday celebrations is emerging, with some fashion brands opting to boycott traditional sales.
- Asket, a Swedish brand, plans to close its stores and website, instead offering repair services to promote sustainability.
- French sneaker company Veja introduces Repair Friday to encourage consumers to mend their existing footwear.
- Finisterre pledges to donate a portion of sales to environmental charities instead of offering discounts.
- Lucy & Yak focuses on charity by releasing a special collection to support educational initiatives in India.
The traditional Black Friday frenzy is seeing a pushback from several fashion brands determined to promote sustainability and social responsibility. This year, a notable number of companies are redefining what this consumer holiday means. They are not just focusing on profits but are making bold statements against the pressure of rampant discounting.
Asket, a Swedish clothing brand, is a frontrunner in this movement. For the eighth consecutive year, the company will close both its website and physical stores on Black Friday. Instead of selling new items, Asket is encouraging customers to opt for repairs, offering free services to extend the life of their garments. This initiative stands as a testament to their commitment to sustainability and reducing waste.
Meanwhile, Veja, a renowned French sneaker brand, is adopting a similar approach with what they call ‘Repair Friday.’ From November 29-30, consumers are invited to their Paris headquarters and select stores globally for complimentary repairs of their footwear, regardless of the brand. “The most ecological sneakers are the ones we already wear,” states co-founder Sébastien Kopp, highlighting the company’s ‘clean, repair, collect’ project aimed at extending the life of products.
Outdoor clothing brand Finisterre is taking a different route by leveraging sales to support environmental causes. They have pledged to donate £2 and $2.50 from every order placed in the UK, Europe, and the US to organizations like Surfers Against Sewage and The Surfrider Foundation, focusing on ocean protection. With their ‘Blue Friday’ campaign, the brand has successfully raised significant funds for environmental charities over the years.
Lucy & Yak are choosing to give back through fashion, launching a limited-edition collection in support of the Fior Di Loto Foundation. The collection’s profits, alongside all profits made during a designated period, go toward educating young girls in Pushkar, India. Co-founder Lucy Greenwood reflects on the impactful work done through their community’s support, emphasizing the importance of looking beyond traditional Black Friday sales.
In contrast, some brands have chosen to simply ignore Black Friday, communicating directly with their customers about their non-participation. Fristads, a Swedish workwear brand, and womenswear brand Aligne have openly stated their stands against the consumerist trend, focusing instead on promoting sustainable consumption by not offering any discounts during this period.
The shift from Black Friday sales to sustainable and charitable initiatives reflects a growing consumer awareness towards mindful consumption.
