Why Black Friday can be a great opportunity for Eco Friendly Businesses

Black Friday – We all know what it is and we all know what it means, huge discounts on every product you could imagine. It was first brought to the UK in the 2010s by big American owned businesses such as Amazon and Asda. By 2014 British retailers began to adopt the concept and Black Friday sales in late November became the norm on this side of the Atlantic.

Over the years it has received much negative press with customers queueing for hours, even days, and literally fighting over bargains. Over the last few years many of the big retailers have attempted to calm the storm by starting their Black Friday sales much earlier, at staggered times and online.

Many small businesses, especially those in the sustainable and eco friendly products industry, have boycotted Black Friday sales claiming, amongst other things, it encourages consumers to buy things they don't need and are pressured into buying it now. Many also claim that it simply funds large multinational retailers and harms small businesses. As a small business, that sells natural products and encourages a zero waste lifestyle, we disagree. Black Friday can be a great opportunity for small, eco friendly businesses, and here's why...

1) In the few years we have been trading we have always, in some form, taken part in Black Friday. Every year, along with our loyal regular customers, we have new first time customers who are using the discount as an opportunity to try zero waste and sustainable products for the first time. Many of who are converted and begin actively looking for other ways to reduce waste. If just one person begins a zero waste journey after a Black Friday purchase, isn't that a success?