Our thinking

Black(out) Friday

24 February, 2020

Black Friday rears its head once more, as consumers look to bag a bargain and retailers try to shift some of their stock.

But as more retailers choose to opt-out of Black Friday, one approach prompted us to write a thought-piece for The Grocer, outlining why that may not be the answer after all…

One company adopting a slightly different – and arguably more interesting – move for 2019 is Deciem, the parent company of specialist beauty brands including The Ordinary. Deciem has discounted products for the whole month of November, and will shut down on the day itself – which it is calling Black (out) Friday. In a statement released on Instagram it said “The saving will be available for the next month, so there really is no need to hurry.”

The ‘don’t hurry’ message directly takes on one of the most obvious objections to Black Friday – which is the frenzied, hysterical approach to shopping it provokes. The underlying issue is that this contributes to more people buying more things they don’t actually really want or need – with the main victim being the planet, and our ever-deepening climate crisis.

But Deciem doesn’t throw the baby out with the proverbial bathwater. Its month-long initiative still offers people the chance to purchase its products at a discount, potentially opening them up to people who might not otherwise be able to afford them.

What we love about this approach is the proud demonstration of its faith in the inherent virtue of its products. Imagine if a similar conviction was taken by businesses that genuinely benefit our planet, such as a simple energy control device for the home that would significantly reduce usage, where a discount means it could end up in many more homes. If you’ve got a genuinely transformative product, then there’s no reason to shy away from anything that gets it off the shelves.