News

Alternative Offered to Black Friday Frenzy

Monday November 23

Fair Trade retailers are promoting an alternative to Black Friday, encouraging people to buy their gifts ‘mindfully and ethically’.

Launching the ‘Just Friday’ initiative, Traidcraft is pointing to a new survey showing more than half of people experience negative emotions during Christmas shopping – feeling stressed, anxious, ill, argumentative and even violent.

It has been launched in the week of Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and traditionally the first day of Christmas shopping in America. In recent years the phenomenon has reached the UK and last year saw scuffles in some shops as shoppers competed for bargains. This year, some retailers have announced they are either scaling back their Black Friday promotions or not taking part at all.

Larry Bush, Traidcraft’s marketing director, said: “It’s obvious that consumers are growing tired of this materialistic ‘consumption culture’, which is why we’re running our Just Friday campaign again this year.

“Imagine if just 1% of the £1bn that retail analysts predict will be spent on Black Friday was spent with ethical, fair trade organisations like Traidcraft and People Tree? Even this small percentage could help us improve the lives of tens of thousands of people across the developing world and make a huge difference to someone’s life – and you’ll be buying a beautifully handmade, unique gift for family and friends.

“So on Black Friday, one of the most chaotic days on the shopping calendar, we’re offering an alternative with ‘Just Friday’, and asking people to take a few moments and think about their buying choices.”

Safia Minney, Founder & CEO of ethical fashion company People Tree, said: “Mindless consumption that makes Christmas shoppers feel uncomfortable, especially at the cost of workers and the planet, has to stop. We can create change, a different way of doing business and buy Fair Trade, ethically and sustainably this Just Friday.”

The initiative follows the launch of an online advent calendar by the Church of Scotland, aimed at combatting what the Moderator of the General Assembly called the ‘rampant commercialism’ of Christmas.

The Rt Rev Dr Angus Morrison said: “When even the large retailers are using their Christmas adverts to highlight social isolation, and shoppers are fighting in stores over cheap TVs on Black Friday, it’s easy to see why people feel something is missing.”