The Black Friday Conundrum
Black Friday has been increasing in popularity since it's invention and now is no longer just one day but seems to last over a week! With retailers encouraging people to spend, spend, spend with huge discounts and offers.
We are a small independent family run business run by Steph & Stu & occasionally helped by our lovely friend Hannah. We pride ourselves on incredible customer service and finding you unusual, quirky and good value products. We use environmentally friendly packaging and offer a range of plastic-free products for a more sustainable way of life. We select, merchandise, add to the website and pack it all ourselves.
Black Friday is considered to be highly unsustainable, with a growing reputation for greed and consumerism. We've all seen the weird video clips of people stampeding through the aisles to grab the next 50" TV. It's uncomfortable watching at best, seeing humans in the 21st century behaving in this way. It's not very La Di Da is it?
Anti Black Friday Movement
Most smaller businesses choose to opt out of Black Friday, it squeezes small margins into nothing as a small business most can't afford it. Some maintain that we offer good value all year round, so why would one Friday in November be any different?
Why is Black Friday Unsustainable?
- It encourages over consumerism
- It encourages cheap consumerism - and someone in that chain has to pay that cost
- It's unprofitable for most businesses
- Smaller independent local businesses cannot complete due to higher costs
- More shopping means more packaging, transport, emissions etc
Black Friday the La Di Da Way
So after all of the above we have decided this year for the first time to participate in Black Friday (in a small, and sustainable way) here's how:
1) During 2020 and the COVID-19 lockdowns we have traded more online and therefore feel that we are no longer just a little local shop as a large part of our customer base isn't local any more. We need to compete with other online retailers.
2) The discounts offered are sustainable for us, we are offering a discount that we can absorb. We are offering bundles of products that go well together that offer our customers great value.
3) We are personally absorbing the full cost of Black Friday. Nobody further down our supply chain is taking the hit. We have seen brands offering 70% + discounts. We can't and won't offer price cuts that extreme. It does not align with our ethics. It also begs the question - if they can afford to price cut that much, are they charging too much in the first place?!
4) Consumer trends would indicate that people wait until Black Friday to purchase items that they have been planning to purchase for a while (gifts, repeat products etc) Therefore, Black Friday orders are usually larger in quantity (number of products) than normal orders. This is GOOD. It means that instead of shipping 4 products over 3 months they all go in one box, on one day, in one van. Less transport costs. Less packaging costs. Less time cost for us packaging. Less emissions. It actually makes sense to order MORE on Black Friday - provided it is something you already needed or considered purchasing previously.
5) We have been asked by our customers for weeks "Are you doing Black Friday?" we don't want you to be disappointed!
We are passionate about what we do and how we do it. We are proud to offer fabulous products and to help you create a beautiful home and lifestyle. By participating we don't want to encourage greed or mass-consumerism, we just want to participate in a thoughtful and enjoyable way for all involved.
Click here to see our Black Friday deals
Despite having benefited from Black Friday (BF) on several occasions, including this year, by waiting to buy one or two specific items that I can reasonably anticipate will be reduced, I really dislike BF because it benefits huge organisations & punishes small ones. It’s purely about buying as much stuff as possible. It often leaves people in debt as they fill their credit cards – or even spend money for bills – on irresistible ‘stuff’ because it’s ‘cheap’! I especially hate how much it affects small businesses, as people use up their available cash or credit on this ‘stuff’. And how most small businesses simply can’t afford to join in without trashing any hope of profitability that year.
What I LOVE is GREEN FRIDAY …! It’s an anti-BF movement, of small businesses refusing to join in, who are reminding people that buying local & buying small is valuable in lots of ways! The buying experience, the often much higher quality, the availability of advice & guidance, the knowledge you’re benefiting a local &/or family business & the reduced impact on the environment in multiple ways!!
I experienced zero guilt in reducing Amazon’s profits for my Amazon Echo & my Quest Multi Cooker.
And I’m looking forward to choosing some more new 2020 Christmas decorations from La Di Da! And I’ll sleep easy knowing I always try to buy small &/or local when I can & enjoy building a relationship with a smaller company which just makes the buying experience even nicer 😊
Think GREEN – there are so many reasons to do so & you’ll enjoy it so much more! Try it for a year & tell me if you agree?! Happy Christmas 🎄❤️ x
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