The fourth Friday in November is Black Friday with its share of discounts that make customers happy. However, hundreds of fashion brands disapprove of this day of discounts and pledge against these 24 hours of frantic shopping.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 … Black Friday is on! This day, which takes place every year on the fourth Friday in November, launches the winter season with its set of attractive discounts. 24 hours that delight some consumers. But this commercial practice, directly imported from the United States, is also the cause of overconsumption, deceptive promotions and pollution. It is for this reason that many committed and responsible French fashion brands are mobilizing on the occasion of the 2021 edition of Black Friday.
What is the history of Black Friday?
The most frequently read story about the origins of the term “Black Friday” begins a Friday in September 1869 in the United States where the price of gold, in free fall, causes a stock market crash whose effects were felt during several years on the economy of the country. In 1930, following another crisis, the Great Depression of 1929, traders tried to revive their activity by establishing 24 hours off the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, which takes place on the fourth Thursday in November each year. A few decades later, in the 50’s, the term “Black Friday” appeared in Philadelphia police jargon. It then designates the day of traffic jams which blocks the streets of the city center because of the consequent affluence in the shops. The name “Black Friday” is then gradually adopted by all traders in the country to designate these 24 hours of sales that have become a real national ritual. The goal : start the shopping period as the end of the year holidays approach.
When did Black Friday arrive in France?
It was at the beginning of the 2010s that Black Friday began to become a meeting point in France. Popularized by the major international e-commerce platforms (Amazon, Asos, etc.), Black Friday is gradually establishing itself in the mores of French consumers. In 2021, they are like this 7 out of 10 to take advantage of it with an average budget of 251 euros according to a study by the audit firm PwC carried out in the fall of 2021. The problem? This day of discounts is added to the sales periods already questioned by merchants. Above all, as Nicolas Rohr, co-founder of the Faguo brand, underlines, “We do not have the same trade calendar as in the United States. With us, the sales start in January, ie after Christmas “.
But consumers, very happy to be able to buy clothes at discounted prices and prepare their gifts for the end of year celebrations a little in advance (again according to the PwC study, in 2021, consumers plan to buy 30% of their Christmas gifts during Black Friday), do not ignore this day of discounts. A real problem for traders, who thus fail to sell their stocks at a high price just before the holidays. Especially that most of the purchases are made online, penalizing multi-brand stores and French brands compared to international sites accessible in a few clicks. In 2021, consumers expect to make 64% of their purchases on the Internet against only 35% in stores according to the PwC study.
Another criticism: the Black Friday is criticized because it encourages overconsumption. The significant reductions displayed in stores influence the purchase of products that are not always essential for consumers. “Brands shouldn’t “force” consumers to buy because there is a super promo that lasts 24 hours. And then, what does it mean, for a customer, that on Thursday, we sell a product at full price, then at -40% the next day before releasing it at full price on Saturday? ? “, remarks Nicolas Rohr. Moreover, according to the association UFC What to choose, Black Friday is even an opportunity for some brands to deceive shoppers with a “invisible sleight of hand for consumers, which allows them to sell the same products at the same prices while making them believe in a good deal“.
What alternatives to Black Friday?
In France, the response is organized and more and more initiatives are being carried out to make customers aware of the overconsumption caused by this period of discounts. What interests them most in terms of purchasing? The fashion, which for the 2021 edition represents 50% of purchase intentions according to the PwC study. It makes sense, therefore, that the brands in the sector are mobilized through various initiatives.
Green Friday
In 2017, the network of fifty work-integration companies Envie, the eco-responsible Altermundi shops, the Dream Act platform and the network of Refer resource centers came together to create the Green Friday collective, presented as “anti-Black Friday”. “Together, let’s take back the power of purchasing“, he inscribes in his manifesto, which wishes”say stop to excessive and unreasonable production“. The idea: to favor eco-responsible raw materials, to preach the good word to our relatives to convert them to this way of consuming, to promote local production, second hand, upcycling … Supported by the town hall of Paris , the collective encourages brands to take concrete actions that day: not to do promotions on the fourth Friday of November, donate 10% of its daily turnover to an association, educate consumers …
Make Friday Green Again
Launched in 2019 at the initiative of the French brand Faguo, Make Friday Green Again gathers 700 claws during its first year of existence. In 2021, 1,200 of them will commit to this period of overconsumption. Brands like Naturalia and Maisons du monde, beauty brands like Horace and above all, fashion labels like Aigle, Emoi Emoi, We Are Jolies, Bonne Gueule, Luz, Maison Standards, Nénés Paris, Make My Lemonade, Chilowé, Olly, Jules & Jenn, Baya or even Icone Lingerie refuse to participate in this day of discount sales. Their observation:
- the Black Friday does not have to be in France and encourages overconsumption.
- He has a direct impact on climate. Make Friday Green Again suggests consumers consume when they really need to.
- These 1,200 brands rather propose to take advantage of this day to take stock of their needs and sort the clothes lying dormant in the closets for upcycling, donation, resale or recycling.
“It should be kept in mind that for brands, Black Friday is an important commercial contribution. By renouncing it, we cut ourselves off from a substantial turnover“, recalls Nicolas Rohr.”But like us, the claws that have joined the initiative are among those who want to do for the planet and restore a certain balance rather than lament and create new drifts.“, continues the leader. there is no question of organizing specific actions to assert its positions on Black Friday. Nicolas Rohr advises more brands of highlight all their existing actions. In the case of Faguo, it is a question of communicating on its repair workshop, its recycling terminals, its second-hand sale and purchase offer … In view of the presidential elections in 2022, Make Friday Green Again and Green Friday have also teamed up to write an open letter to the future or to the future President of the Republic in order to challenge him on Black Friday and remind him of the impact of daily consumption on the climate. Their wishful thinking: that the next head of state legislates on the subject.
Blue White Red Friday
In 2019, the made in France gourd brand Gobi launched Blue White Red Friday. This collective of brands, whose products are all manufactured in the French borders, wishes to encourage consumers to buy from French brands which “fight 365 days a year to save jobs and local know-how“.
Isolated initiatives
Some brands, without belonging to any collective, decide to turn Black Friday into a solidarity initiative. This is the case of Mr. Mustache which organizes five days of discounts on its old shoe collections from Wednesday 17 to Sunday 21 November in its stores and on its website. All the benefits of this mini week of discounts will be donated to the Allegretto association which fights RETT syndrome, a nervous system condition that affects young girls.
The women’s ready-to-wear brand House 123 To chose to donate 1 euro to each of its sales from November 26 to Emmaus Solidarity. The amount collected will be used to renovate a space of the association.
For his part, the jean specialist Jeanerica donates 15% of the profits generated from November 26 to 29 to associations that protect the oceans thanks to the Milkywire platform, which specializes in facilitating the connection between companies and non-profit organizations. . An initiative followed by the Polish label Chylak which has decided to donate 50% of the profits made on its Moiré collection from November 26 to 29 to the Mare foundation, which works to protect the marine ecosystems of the Baltic Sea.
For the eco-responsible sports label Circle, Black Friday is an opportunity to join forces with the Running Heroes community of runners and to issue a challenge to its customers: run a total of 100,000 km on Friday, November 26 to plant 10 000 trees with the Tree-Nation reforestation platform. Prepare your sneakers!
In another register, the online brand for women and children Balzac Paris will close its ready-to-wear site on Black Friday to push its second-hand offer and thus encourage customers to consume less, but better. An initiative that the Aigle brand, also a member of “Make Friday Green Again”, has also decided to take. In addition to its eshop, the label will close 48 of its stores on November 26, 2021, thus promoting its second-hand site, “Second Souffle”, launched exactly a year ago. Or how to get involved on a large scale.