Black Friday is an annual shopping event that originated in the United States and traditionally takes place on the day after the Thanksgiving holiday, which is the fourth Friday of November. During Black Friday, many stores offer significant discounts on a wide variety of products, from electronics and home appliances to clothing and toys.
The term "Black Friday" has several theories about its origin. One of the most common explanations is that the name refers to the point when retailers start to record a profit, moving from being "in the red" (loss) to "in the black" (profit) due to the massive increase in sales during this period.
Black Friday has become a global phenomenon, with consumers looking for deals and discounts, often marking the beginning of the year-end shopping season. However, over the years, Black Friday has also been criticised due to its environmental impact, the encouragement of accelerated consumption, and potential problems related to impulsive buying behaviour.
The term "accelerated consumption" refers to a consumption pattern characterised by the rapid acquisition and disposal of products, often driven by factors such as promotions, discounts, or fleeting trends. Here are some points for a deeper understanding:
1-Impulsive Buying:
Accelerated consumption often involves impulsive purchases, where consumers acquire products without careful consideration or prior planning.
2-Planned Obsolescence:
The strategy of planned obsolescence, in which products are designed to have a limited lifespan, contributes to accelerated consumption. Consumers are often encouraged to replace functional products due to new models or updates.
3-Disposable Culture:
Contemporary culture often promotes the idea that products have a short lifespan, leading people to discard functionally valid items in search of what is considered "newer" or "better."
4-Marketing Influence:
Aggressive marketing strategies, especially during events like Black Friday, can create a "buy now" mentality by fostering a sense of urgency around temporary offers.
5-Social Pressures and Trends:
The pursuit of social belonging and the influence of fashion trends can lead people to adopt an accelerated consumption lifestyle to align with social expectations.
6-Environmental Impact:
Accelerated consumption is often associated with an increase in mass production, generating waste, excessive consumption of natural resources, and contributing to environmental problems, such as pollution.
7-Psychological Well-being:
Some people resort to accelerated consumption in search of instant gratification, often as a response to stress, anxiety, or social pressures.
8-Challenges for Sustainability:
Accelerated consumption can pose a significant challenge to sustainable living practices, as it is often associated with choices that have a negative impact on the environment.
Understanding accelerated consumption is crucial to addressing the social and environmental challenges associated with this behaviour pattern and to promoting more conscious and sustainable consumption practices.
The Environmental Impacts of Black Friday
Increased Waste:
During Black Friday, many consumers are encouraged to buy products they may not need, leading to a significant increase in waste.
Items are often discarded quickly due to impulsive purchases or the incessant search for deals.
Excessive Packaging:
The increase in purchases results in higher demand for packaging, which is often excessive and unsustainable.
Disposable and plastic packaging contributes to environmental pollution and represents a significant waste problem.
Carbon Footprint:
The transportation of large volumes of goods to meet Black Friday demand contributes to a significant carbon footprint.
Intensive use of transportation, especially for internationally manufactured products, increases greenhouse gas emissions.
Unsustainable Mass Production:
The pressure for deep discounts often leads to mass production, often under unsustainable and exploitative conditions.
This can include production practices that do not respect workers' rights and result in negative impacts on the environment.
Unrestrained Consumption:
The culture of aggressive discounts during Black Friday promotes unrestrained consumption and impulsive acquisition, leading to a greater demand for natural resources.
Disposal of Electronic Products:
Black Friday is known for deals on electronics, and many consumers exchange older devices for newer versions.
Improper disposal of electronic products contributes to pollution from heavy metals and toxic substances.
These impacts highlight the need for a more conscious and sustainable approach to consumption practices, encouraging alternatives that minimise environmental impact and promote a more responsible lifestyle.
How we see Black Friday
We do not support Black Friday, because for us it is a day (which currently spans weeks and perhaps months???) that encourages excessive consumption. The marketing around this day is huge, and people are bombarded with messages and advertisements on the topic. When we read "discounts" or "Black Friday," our brain associates it with lower prices, but is that really the case? Unfortunately, many times brands raise the prices of items days before Black Friday so that the applied discount appears huge.
In some cases, the real price of the product during Black Friday is the same or higher than the price before the campaign. Therefore, one piece of advice we can give you, if you really want a Black Friday item, is to analyse the price of the item weeks in advance, make sure you really need the item, and of course, don't let the discount override your family planning.
Green Friday as a Sustainable Alternative:
In the face of these environmental challenges, Green Friday emerges as a conscious response. This movement encourages more responsible consumption practices, promoting:
Support for local businesses and sustainable products.
Waste reduction through thoughtful choices.
Awareness of the environmental impact of purchasing decisions.
Green Friday represents a movement towards more ethical and sustainable consumption, encouraging reflection on the impact of our choices on the Planet.
How we see Green Friday
For us, Green Friday is just a time when we do our best to understand which products have been most sought after in our store or, on the other hand, those that require a greater investment but also have a huge positive impact on the planet. This year, 2023, we felt that many people really wanted to start home composting (Bokashi), but that it was a big investment, and they kept putting the idea aside.
So, it was very easy for us to decide that our composters would be more accessible for those who truly want to change the way they generate waste and food waste.
We like to see this period more as an incentive to change habits rather than an incentive for excessive consumption. In our store, we often say, "If you don't need it or still have some from another brand at home, don't buy it now; use what you have first, that's the most SUSTAINABLE thing to do!"
Black Friday vs. Green Friday: By choosing Green Friday and not Black Friday, you are contributing to local commerce and the preservation of the environment. If you don't need anything at the moment, then don't buy it! Did you know that simply sharing this post and our page with others already contributes to a greener planet? I hope you enjoyed it!
Text by Marta Lopes | Photographs by Pexels and Martin Bernetti/AFP
