71. Mass Consumerism on Black Friday

The Friday following Thanksgiving Day, or the Black Friday is considered as the beginning of America’s shopping season. The day has been celebrated since 1952 and is considered the as busiest shopping day of the year in the United States. Today, Black Friday is also celebrated all across the world, including India. Many stores offer highly promoted sales, with a few brands starting their sales as early as Thanksgiving. It is common for shoppers to camp out near their favorite stores to secure a place in front of the line. Because of the heavy discounts and the sales, there have been numerous reports of violence occurring between shoppers on Black Friday. According to Black Friday Death Counts Report, since 2006, there have been 12 deaths and 117 injuries throughout the US. For years, chaos has defined Black Friday Sales.

The Black Friday sales have also been criticized for another reason. As the discounts are so high, people end up purchasing things they don’t need, which leads to overproduction. In simple words, the mass consumerism associated with Black Friday is harming the environment. The production and packaging of products on a large scale are impacting the climate in different ways. Online shopping too has a detrimental effect: a rise in air pollution levels, due to the delivery of online orders. Besides, we see the waste and a lack of recycling of the existing products which are being replaced by-products that are most often not used.

However, the perception of Black Friday is changing. In France, for example, there have been discussions in the legislature about banning Black Friday due to its impact on the environment. Advocates who promote conscious shopping behavior are on a rise too. Brands are opting out of Black Friday sales for environmental reasons, such as REI and Deciem. Black Friday is an opportunity for brands to show their dedication to something more meaningful and bigger than their profits. We have the example of the “Make Friday Green Again” collective that encourages shoppers to spend this day looking into their wardrobe and see if they can repair, sell or recycle anything. Indeed, the less you buy, the smaller is your environmental footprint!

Source: Multichannel Merchant