This Friday, independent retailers across the country will close their websites, donate their profits to charity and plant trees as part of a new effort against mad consumerism. The frenzy is encouraged by the major online sellers offering Black Friday deals.
About 85% of independent retailers will not be participating in this year’s Black Friday, the day when sellers claim to be offering bargains and discounts in an attempt to boost prices before Christmas.
The number of retailers boycotting the event is the highest number ever recorded by the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) and is part of a growing movement against buying sites Online shopping giants like Amazon have gained traction since the start of the pandemic.
Zoe Roberts, founder of Out of the Box Gifts, an eco-friendly gift box store based in Cheshire, said: “I’m donating 10% of my Black Friday weekend sales to the real bank. their local products. “There are many reasons why I don’t like Black Friday – the main reason is that I think it encourages us to buy things we don’t need and thus increases waste.”
She also wanted to highlight how small businesses couldn’t compete with larger retailers on that day. “Small businesses tend to keep their prices reasonable year-round and therefore can’t drop prices drastically right before the busiest time of year.”
Other independent retailers, such as Surrey-based Shutter Jewelery and used women’s and children’s clothing retailer Build a Bundle in Cumbria, will plant the tree on Friday as an antidote. toxic to the waste generated by consumerism. “I try to do whatever I can to reduce waste. Sophie de Taranto, owner of Shutter Jewelery, said I would plant 100 trees to give back to the planet instead of cramming for overconsumption by enticing people to buy more than they want or need.
The founders of Pantee, a sustainable lingerie brand, plan to shut down their website. “The only people who will be able to access our site will be participating members of the community who are subscribed to our mailing list and have a password… no sales, no impulse purchases, ” said co-founder Katie McCourt. “Our message this Black Friday is to stop and think before you buy. Is it something you love? Is it what you need? ”
Birmingham-based jeweler and jeweler Ruth Mary Chipperfield will release a video on Friday giving tips on how to repair jewelry on her website, ruthmary.com. “On the occasion of anti-Black Friday, I encourage people to look inside their jewelry boxes and instead of buying new, get their precious pieces repaired,” she said. “I’m saying: look at the amazing things you’ve got. You don’t need to buy anything new. In fact, a really nice Christmas gift for some people might be a ring that they thought was broken, but was smuggled out of their jewelry box by a loved one and given to them on Valentine’s Day. Christmas, has been fully restored. “
As the Black Friday protest movement grows in popularity, many shoppers are not only returning to local streets and markets, but increasingly looking online to find ways to shop locally. On Facebook, a group called Not on Amazon was founded last November and now has more than 157,000 members. Founded by Jamie Rackham, who runs a small furniture business in the Forest of Dean, it is a place where creative business owners and independent artisans can freely advertise their products. products they did for others in the group.
“This time last year we were going to be holding a number of Christmas markets and they were all cancelled,” Rackham said. “At the same time, I heard about Amazon making a record number of profits during the lockdown. I think: this is so wrong. They are making all this money and we are told we cannot run our business. I have to try and do something about this. “
He’s been so amazed by the success of his Facebook group, that last week he launched a crowdfunding campaign for a gallery he’s founded. He hopes to create a space where Not on Amazon members can display their work for sale and come share information and ideas with each other.
Last week also saw the launch of another website designed to showcase and generate revenue for independent stores across the country. Dr Jackie Mulligan, founder of Shoplocalonline.org, said: “It is disgusting, what has happened to our local high streets during this pandemic.” “Small businesses are not allowed to trade, they are considered non-essential in many categories. And then we see a billionaire [Amazon founder Jeff Bezos] push yourself into space. It just doesn’t make any sense.”
She founded the site in part in response to Black Friday. “Black Friday is wreaking havoc on the streets – it’s the Grinch that stole Christmas from smaller retailers. Small retailers don’t want to pay 30% commission to an online giant, they don’t want their stuff out of stock. They just want to be able to serve their customers.”
Any independent retailer can join the site for free until the end of January, and she promises never to take a commission on their sales. More than 4,000 small independent retailers in at least 100 towns and cities have signed up to date. “All of the businesses on Shoplocalonline.org are physical locations: market stalls, pop-ups, physical brick-and-mortar businesses. If you are interested in those places, this is your chance to experience them. “This site follows in the footsteps of Bookshop.org, which launched a year ago to support independent bookstores. It has generated nearly £1.8 million for nearly 500 bookstores.
Andrew Goodacre, head of Bira, said. “The pandemic has been very difficult for retailers that are considered non-essential. In the past 18 months, they have suffered three lockdowns, weekly restrictions, and are just now starting to rebuild their business. Christmas is going to be a hugely important season for independent retailers.
“We know shoppers are back to shopping on the street as they begin to prepare for the festive period but we need stronger sales in November and December to help retailers cope. face the many challenges that await them in 2022.”
