With the last Friday of November in sight, everyone is ready again to score the best deals during Black Friday. The most chaotic shopping day of the year. A day that is all about: buying, buying and buying again. But, fortunately, it can also be done differently! In this article we highlight five large and small organizations that approach things differently and go against the extra purchasing behavior.
1. Freebooter: coat by coat
Vrijbuiter, an outdoor and camping store in Gouda and Zaandam, launched the ‘Give Back Friday’ campaign last year as a response to Black Friday. In collaboration with Global Aid Network (GAiN), as many coats as possible were collected, which were then sent to people in Ukraine especially for Christmas. This with the message: “Everyone deserves a warm Christmas.”
This year Vrijbuiter has a similar campaign called ‘Coat for Coat’. From November 14 to December 4, customers can hand in their old winter coat at the store in exchange for a 40 euro discount on their next purchase. The returned coats are sent to people who desperately need them, such as in Ukraine, where temperatures can drop to -20 degrees. But also to Lesbos and Samos, islands where thousands of refugees arrive every week. Due to the sea breeze, the temperature there can feel as low as -15 degrees. After more than 300 jackets handed in last year, Vrijbuiter hopes to be able to collect even more jackets this year.
2. Beaver: dive into your closet, not into the offers
After successful counter-reactions to Black Friday in previous years, such as the 2023 campaign in which Bever encourages customers to properly maintain and repair their clothing instead of replacing it, the outdoor brand is coming up with something new this year. Namely with the initiative ‘Big Deal!‘. With this initiative, Bever calls on consumers to first look in their own closet before making new purchases. The outdoor store wants to encourage consumers to reuse or return existing items, instead of being tempted by Black Friday discounts.
Research shows that 34% of Dutch people have outdoor products in their cupboard that they never use again… Which is of course a shame. Marjolein Vendrig, marketing director at Bever, believes that buying something at a discount is fine, but notices that people’s heads run wild during Black Friday. “The buy button has already been pressed before we even thought about whether we really need it,” says Vendrig. “We even think we need it because it is so cheap. Meanwhile, our cupboards are getting fuller and fuller. That is why we want to encourage people to consume more consciously now and to give unused clothing a second life.”
As an extension of the ‘Big Deal’ campaign, Bever will present a rack of second-hand cabinets in Hoog Catharijne, Utrecht on November 28 and 29. This should remind shoppers of the many unused items at home. Consumers can also hand in their old outdoor clothing here in exchange for a 10 euro voucher. And if the clothing is still good, Bever will even buy the clothing back, on top of the voucher!
Photo: ‘Big Deal ‘Bever’ campaign
3. Roetz: give your bike a good makeover
Roetz, a bicycle manufacturer that sells circular, sustainable bicycles and e-bikes, believes that as a society we do not need more (new) things. Lotte de Winter, online marketer at Roetz: “We should go for a circular economy. Reuse and taking good care of your things, that is what we stand for at Roetz. We want to encourage people to think carefully about a purchase. And if you take good care of your things, you will enjoy them for much longer.”
That is precisely why Roetz shares tips and advice on how people can properly maintain their bicycles during Black Friday. It is, as it were, a basic ‘APK’ or service for your bicycle. Under the name ‘Buy less, repair more‘ Roetz employees explain how you can care for your bicycle so that it lasts longer. So hold of social in Roetz’s website Stay tuned for more knowledge about a healthy bicycle!
4. No counteraction is also action: IKEA and ANWB
IKEA
IKEA has been surprising us for years with a special Black Friday counter-promotion. And not one that you will buy more of. This year, IKEA is opting for a new approach: not a temporary action, but highlighting sustainable initiatives all year round. This has an impact in the long term. To make this clear, IKEA has changed the ‘Furniture Exchange Service’ this year to the ‘Buyback service‘. A service where customers can exchange used IKEA products for store credit.
In addition to furniture, customers can now also hand in home accessories, toys and other products. IKEA expects to make a greater impact with the addition of toys in particular, as these products often quickly fall out of favor due to the rapid growth of young children. In addition, the buyback offer is increased by an additional 15% as standard for IKEA Family members. This is to create more awareness about the lifespan of products throughout the year.
Photo: IKEA’s Buyback Service
ANWB
ANWB is no longer participating! Although the Royal Dutch Tourist Association held Green Friday promotions in previous years, it has decided not to do anything special this year. ANWB believes it is important that their sustainable initiatives are visible all year round. Jan Willem Juffer, director ANWB Retail: “We are determined to make our ecological footprint as small as possible. So we continuously invest in sustainable solutions, reduce waste and increasingly learn to operate in harmony with nature. We do this not alone, but together with our members throughout the year.”
Consider, for example, the collection bins that have been in ANWB stores since 2023. The submitted items are transformed into circular items together with partners. This has led to their very first circular product: a shoe horn made of 30% recycled shoes and 70% polypropylene! The goal is to collect as many products as possible and turn them into new circular products with minimal CO2 emissions.
Photo: ANWB and sustainability
Despite the fact that there are many counter-movements, we are still far from done. So, are you not participating in Black Friday, are you supporting an initiative or do you have a tip for consuming more consciously? Then don’t be afraid to share this with those around you!
Source: www.frankwatching.com
