THIS BLACK FRIDAY WE ARE CLOSING DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE CONSUMERISM

Tienda cierra Black Friday

“ Error message. Failure due to consumerist culture.”

We believe that this is the message that should be appearing in every shopping centre on Black Friday.

Therefore, this is what will be on our website on that day.

But before you ask us why, we would like to explain the reasons behind this decision and show you what you can do in order to repair our excessive consumerism.

Why are we closing this Black Friday?

1. BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO CONSUMERISM

At what point did the purchase of essential goods and services, turn into a competition to sell more replaceable products to people who do not need them, in exchange for a notion of happiness that doesn’t exist.
We do not agree with this system, that puts the need for money ahead of people and the planet. We neither want to support a date created exclusively to fill-in a period of time when people didn’t buy much and when the brands have seen a drop in their income.

Nor do we approve of the wasted resources (wrapping, boxes, packaging…) and the emissions generated during this Friday of shopping overload.

That is why we are not taking part.

2. BECAUSE WE RESPECT YOU

If there is one thing we would like to be known for, it is for being honest with you. We genuinely do not want you to buy from us whilst feeling obligated due to an offer of extremely low prices.

We want you to buy our products because you are convinced they are the best option for you, we do NOT want you to make a snap decision without thinking first, resulting in you taking something home that you potentially do NOT need.

This is the reason why we do not have January or July sales either and why we also do not accept free returns.
We want to make sure that when you buy from us, you do it in a considered, deliberate manner.

Although we occasionally have discounts to celebrate certain dates, ones that we feel are worthwhile and are important (like International Animal Day) or in order to introduce you to a new product, we would never pressure you into filling your shopping cart with items that you do NOT need. Nor do we want to support a day that celebrates a notion of consumerism that we do NOT stand for.

3. BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T PAY, SOMEONE IS PAYING ON YOUR BEHALF

Maybe that television is a bargain or that t-shirt is too cheap to walk past. However, that discount that you are saving, someone else is paying.

Think of the work conditions of the people that made that product, the same one that can be so heavily discounted (Do you know who they are? Can they make a decent living?) or think of the salaries of the big chain-store employees where you go to buy these sale items (Are they getting paid overtime for working on Black Friday? Do they have permanent contracts or are they constantly offered short contracts?)

4. BECAUSE IT IS DETRIMENTAL FOR SMALL BUSINESS AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

Have you ever asked yourself, why your local stores and small online shops join in on Black Friday?
Because in order to compete with big business they need to drop their prices.

Black Friday results in small businesses losing money, as if they did not have enough to deal with just to survive. The reality is that it fills the cash registers of the big multinationals. The same ones that neither take any notice of their workers’ rights nor of the environmental impact of their products.

WHAT CAN YOU DO

1. Don’t buy anything

Stand up and protest against the failure of consumerism by joining the Buy Nothing Day instead of shopping, enjoy your day in a different way: get out for a bike ride, make a home-made dessert, get to work in your vegetable patch or restore an old piece of furniture.

We assure you that it will make you much more happy than buying something new.

2. Join the movement for a different Black Friday with our downloads

If you are a responsible consumer and do NOT want to be part of Black Friday you can share this downloadable info page with the hashtag #errorblackfriday.

AGAINST BLACK FRIDAY

 

If you have a business and you do not want to join in with Black Friday you can download this poster and display it in your shop window and/or share it on social media with the hashtag #errorblackfriday.

SHOP AGAINS BLACK FRIDAY

We hope that these tools will help you to reclaim a more responsible shopping experience. Because today we are building the future we want.

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