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Next Friday, November 26, the long-awaited Black Friday 2021, a date indicated in the calendar for those who expect to make their purchases with discounts and promotions. Also known as “Black Friday”, this period of sales imported from Anglo-Saxon culture to stimulate purchases at the time that precedes the Christmas campaign, coincides in the United States calendar with the day after the day of Thanksgiving.
In Spain it has been several years since this trend has been integrated and there are many brands that are already beginning to reveal the attractive discounts they have prepared for the date. Different studies indicate that 63% of Spanish consumers will take advantage of the Black Friday offers to advance Christmas purchases and that will spend on average about 133 euros per person.
With these figures it seems logical that more and more firms are joining the promotional days (held on the last Friday of November) with Offers and discounts on your products. But, against all odds, there are many brands that have started an opposite trend in defense of a conscious and moderate consumption, which ensures sustainability and a ‘slow fashion’ more and more present.
The ‘made in Spain’ against Black Friday
Brands like the Spanish firm, The Extreme Collection, have questioned the bargain-hunting frenzy that comes with celebrating this day. This philosophy of slow fashion supposes a slowdown in production processes, consumption, and social and environmental impact. A more ethical and responsible vision that allows the environment to breathe, taking maximum care of every detail of the value chain from beginning to end. «In The Extreme Collection we consider that during Black Friday a senseless consumption is encouraged that will lead to a serious environmental impact», Exposes Jorge Garcia Magariños, CEO of the brand, who also defends the work of all the professionals who are part of its collections year after year. Collections made to last, focused on quality to give rise to timeless pieces that stand the test of time.
Another ‘made in Spain’ firm that joins this movement of not participating in discounts due to social and environmental responsibility is Is Coming. «Encouraging mass consumption is not aligned with the values of the brand since lThe firm bets on smart investment, acquire quality garments that will last in the closet over the years, “they explain. In this brand they also carry out the ‘Buy Back’ system to promote responsible consumption, through a garment buyback system in which 25% of the value of the garment is obtained to be discounted in the next purchase. “Consumers are not only getting used to always buying at a discount, but on many occasions we are failing to value what really matters,” they explain from the optical brand. Goodbye rita, who do not join the discount days either.
Alternative movements
New movements arise in this new way, contrary to Black Friday, with the aim of raising consumer awareness and giving visibility to the need to stop compulsive consumption and ‘fast fashion’. Initiatives such as ‘Transparency Friday’ what the brand proposes Cuttlefish together with the non-profit association ‘Your image, your opportunity’, born in order to help all those people at risk of social and labor exclusion who need to convey an appropriate image when facing a job interview. Sepiia wants to raise awareness about consumer responsibility and its possible positive impact on society by donating a garment to this association for each garment sold on Friday, November 26. «Actions like Black Friday are at the same time cause and consequence of uncontrolled consumerism that exists in our society, since these days there are impulsive purchases of stocks generated by uncontrolled productions “, says Federico Sainz de Robles, CEO of Sepiia. “We don’t inflate our prices to discount once a year; we prefer to offer a fair price all year round, but for people to understand your prices, they have to know where the garment is made, under what conditions and what its impact is, ”Robles continues, and although Black Friday can be seen as an opportunity to increase sales sales, many companies see this policy contrary to the philosophy of their brands, thus associating discounts to the big giants of ‘fast fashion’ focused on increasing their numbers and not on creating consumer awareness.
True to its commitment to nature, in Weleda these days invite you to reflect on responsible consumption, not compulsive and not abusive to the planet through its ‘Green Friday’. “The unnecessary purchases of this day of the environment generate a high volume of waste from all factories, in addition to adding liters of gasoline spent in transport and CO2 emissions,” they say from the brand. The company assures that they will find another way to compensate the loyalty of their customers, but they consider that it is time to reflect on the way we consume, avoiding unnecessary and impulse purchases.
Price increase for solidarity purposes
These days movements arise in which even the firms will raise their price during this day, “for responsible and purposeful consumption, compared to the impulsive consumption of large discounts”, is the reason why the Spanish brand of 100% solidarity clothing Mutitaa will sell 10 euros more expensive its jerseys during Black Friday. Ten euros with which it will contribute to the financing of projects for development in the field of education, health, the rural world and disability in Battambang (Cambodia), where they have a team that manufactures some of their garments.
Luxury and discounts
Large luxury houses have always distanced themselves from Black Friday and ultimately from any marketing act that involves the word ‘discount’ or ‘promotion’. Their products are not designed for impulse purchases, nor are they the target of bargain hunting or sales for a limited time, nor do they need to attract the attention of that new customer who may not even belong to the target they are targeting. Because, If the luxury customer is willing to pay the price of the product they want to buy, why should it be lowered?
“When a firm makes discounts, the value perceived by the customer deteriorates and if they bought it at full price previously they will feel frustration. No luxury firm wants its clients to feel that the product they purchased has lost exclusivity», They explain from Is Coming, a firm that was born in 2019 by the hand of Constan Hernández, founder of Hoss Intropia.
But not only luxury is reluctant to apply offers. Many Spanish mid-priced brands claim that they do not identify with the Black Friday values or that it is a date thought for the big chains.
List of some of the brands that will not join Black Friday:
– Is Coming
– Goodbye Rita
– Weleda
– Cuttlefish
– Walk with me
– Dior
– Chanel
– Louis Vuitton
– Hermès
– Loewe
– Carolina Herrera
– Cartier
– Mutita
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