Black Friday, known to many as the shopping event of the year, is a day, week or even month of endless deals to die for discounts. Held just before Christmas it can be the perfect time to get on top of your Christmas gifting, and bag a bargain.
Originating in the US, to coincide with thanksgiving, it has grown in popularity in Australia, to fast become a part of our purchasing culture, whether we like it or not.
The epic shopping event is criticised by the conscious consumers among us to drive, thoughtless purchases and increase waste, with some opting to upgrade before it's needed, or buy more than they usually would, which may need to big waste.
Many brands, ourselves included, have embraced Black Friday's eco alternative, Green Friday. Brands moving into this space to exercise a more ethical and thoughtful approach to Black Friday, putting in efforts to offer cleaner and greener products, alternative packaging, and great discounts, that allow customers to bag a bargain without encouraging excess, an even offsetting the additional impact of Black Friday through various initiatives that give back.
So, as we head towards this years event, we have pulled together our top tips for surviving and thriving the biggest shopping event of the year, with your wallet and waste-free living lifestyle in tact.
1. Make a List, Check it Twice.
Start planning early, research your brands and write it down. This will help you purchase only what you want and need, and will ensure you don’t impulse buy stuff you don’t want or need. It's surprisingly easy to get caught up the hype of last-chance discounts, so put pen to paper, and stick to the plan.
Set a Budget.
You can have fun during Black Friday without leaving a hole in your wallet that is hard to recover from. So, allocate a budget to your top items, and keep a tally to ensure bagging a bargain, doesn’t turn into shopping that eats into your savings. Placing a comfortable cap on your spending, should see you putting more consideration into carefully choosing the best options, instead of all the options.
Opt-in.
The best deals are often sent early to loyal customers via email newsletter and the odd SMS. Make sure you are signed up early to the mailing lists of your favourite brands. This will help you plan where you are going to spend your money, and find the perfect brands/products to meet all of your needs. And leave you not scrambling last minute to find the good deals on all your favourite products.
Follow your Favourites.
If you haven’t already, jump onto your socials, and make sure you are following your favourite brands. It is important to understand how sustainable and ethical the brand actually is, before buying from them. As well, as getting a grasp on which products you may be interested in and how they work.
Challenge yourself.
Ask yourself the big questions. Would you buy it if it wasn’t on sale. Will the love last, or will the dopamine diminish soon after the cha-ching has stopped ringing in your ears. Does the product have a long life, and add real-life value to your day, week, month and year.
This connects back to one of the biggest contributors to our environment, overconsumption. We have a tendency to always need to have the newest trends, brands, and styles, which leaves us throwing out perfectly fine goods that end up contributing to landfill.
It’s all about how you ‘use’ it.
Ask yourselves, what, when, how and why you will use it. Cheapest isn’t always best. We prefer to use the 'cost per use', as a factor for real value. Also is the product reusable, and eventually recycled, and what will happen at it’s ‘end-of use’. Giving a bit of extra time to consider the long-term impact of your purchase will see you smiling into a clean future, instead of sadly look back with regret
Is there a second-hand alternative.
Before you charge to the checkouts, take a moment to see if there is a second-hand or upcycled alternative. Make a date with 'Marketplace', and research the alternatives, before buying new. You can often find a better quality brand, for the same price as a cheap alternative.
Go-to Gifts.
With a bit of prep, Black (Green) Friday can be a boon in getting great quality, new-season gifts, that will see you resisting the last-minute splurge on Chrissy Eve. Talk to your friends and family early, and add their wishlist to your gifting itinerary. Getting in early will see you chilling towards Christmas, instead to fighting the crowds at the checkouts in the crazy weeks before Christmas.
Take Breaks.
Don’t let Black Friday become your whole Friday, Super Saturday, Sunless Sunday and Manic-Monday. Give it some time, but set a schedule, do your shopping then head to the seaside or your favourite zen-zone to decompress and get some perspective. While some offers are short time-frame, still try and take a moment before checking out, to check your decisions.
Avoid the Crowds.
This year's Black Friday is promising to be bigger than ever, so heading to the shops can be fraught with stress. Parking, crowding and a battle for the best offers can turn your local department store into a warzone. If you can, register for early access sales through membership, or shop from home with a camomile at the ready. Being signed up, and signed in will ensure you get access to your favourite brands and the best offers, while avoiding the battle zones.
Offset your Impact
Some brands will offer the option to reduce the impact of your purchase with a carbon buy back scheme, planting a tree or saving the sea. This year Pelli will automatically double the ocean clean up contribution for all Green Friday purchases. You can learn more about this exciting initiative on our next blog.