 “Consumers seem to jump at a big sale without understanding the impact. But kiwis don’t want to spend at the expense of fair wages, fair business practices, our local industries, or our planet. And they shouldn’t have to. Kiwis deserve ethical and sustainable business all year round.”Â
– Geoff White, Trade Aid CEO.
On Friday 26 November We Said No To Black Friday. We said no to big sales because mass-consumerism makes an unfair world.
Buying cheap allows big retail to squeeze the little guys and our local industries, who can’t compete with such big loss-leading sales. Big sales push down wages and lead to an increase in forced labour and modern slavery in product supply chains. Fast consumerism leads to frivolous spending. Many products bought in these kinds of sales end up being thrown out shortly afterwards. This wastage has a huge environmental impact as our landfills fill up.
It’s not about not buying the things we need. It’s about being thoughtful rather than impulsive with our spending. It’s how people buy and what products people choose to buy that’s important. Let’s aim for sustainable, ethical and fair.
Driven by marketing, big sales are on the rise. Always do some research, for otherwise you may not be getting the deal you were hoping for. “The bigger Black Friday is becoming, the more we have seen a spike in the number of fake sales being offered, which is really disappointing to see,” said Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett, New Zealand country manager for PriceSpy.
Covid 19 has changed the world and our culture. Kiwi values have brought us together and reminded us we can unite. This pause on life has given us time to reflect on what is truly important. It’s time to build back better and fairer. With this comes an opportunity for us to rethink our buying decisions, be intentional and put our valuable dollars to better use, to change Aotearoa for the better.
We’re Saying Yes to fair wages, local businesses, equity, simplicity, community, accountability, to building back better, to a world where trade is fair and sustainable for all, to protecting our planet, to supporting fair business practices and transparency in trade, repairing and extending products’ lifespan, purposeful shopping, reusing and recycling, to family time and taking time out.
Christmas shopping and Boxing Day sales are imminent. We hope together we can continue to be thoughtful this Christmas. It’s not about not being festive or not getting something special for the one you love. It’s about being intentional with our spending. Let’s be thoughtful and buy good this Christmas.
What can you do to be a more thoughtful shopper this Christmas?
- Make purposeful shopping your goal. Make a Christmas shopping list and stick to it.
- Research before buying, so you can be mindful of your purchases.
- Avoid single-use products that will create waste. Consider products that can be reused, passed on, or are already second hand.
- Read the labels and support brands that are organic, ethical, fair trade, animal and forest friendly, and whose eco-footprint has been considered in their production.
- Consider donating to a charity on behalf of someone you love.
- Ask the tough questions – either in-store for smaller brands or to the company website or social media pages for larger brands. What do they know about where their products come from? Do they know what conditions they were produced in? Do they have modern slavery in their supply chains?
If you’d like to hear more about why we’re so passionate about Saying No To Black Friday, check out our CEO Geoff White speaking with Radio New Zealand’s Jesse Mulligan here.