The Youth Lab

RETHINKING BLACK FRIDAY & CONSIDERED SHOPPING

"The pandemic has exposed how Amazon places profits ahead of workers, society, and our planet." Make Amazon Pay

This year we’ve seen workers strikes on Black Friday becoming more organised. The Make Amazon Pay coalition campaign is taking action in 20 countries to demand Amazon pays its workers and taxes and commits to real environmental sustainability. But it’s not just workers organising - in the largest boycott planned yet, independent retailers are fighting back against online giants. Around 85% of smaller sellers will protest Black Friday by closing their websites and planting trees.

Iconic brand campaigns like Patagonia’s Don’t Buy This Jacket and Ikea’s BuyBackFriday have set the anti-Black Friday marketing bar high - not only are smaller brands opting out, they are trying to inspire behaviour change while they are at it. For example, each Black Friday since 2018 Grown Clothing has been removing all garments from its site and replacing them with native Irish trees, asking customers to buy a tree rather than a tee. A growing number of similarly minded retailers are citing issues like waste, fair pricing and overconsumption among the reasons for the boycott.

With this we are seeing a rise in considered purchasing, where younger shoppers (educated in marketing tactics and the impact of overconsumption - did you know Black Friday last year was the most polluting so far? And in the UK alone, Black Friday emitted 429,000 metric tons of GHG emissions - the equivalent of 435 return flights from London to New York...), are reclaiming agency over their shopping habits:

“I think it’s very overhyped and an excuse for people to overspend and over consume on items they probably wouldn’t purchase anyway. I would only purchase something if it was something I had intended on buying regardless of the lower price.” Rachel, 22

REDDIT’S ANTI WORK MOVEMENT

“F*ck black friday and f*ck work. I'm staying at home working on a guitar solo” doomerautist

Another massive emerging movement against Black Friday found its voice on Reddit’s r/antiwork channel. It exploded in popularity during the pandemic. People use it to post about work related anxiety, depression, bad leadership, capitalism, unions, the grind and reclaiming time. It’s a spirited space where anti-work activism and memes have blossomed with criticism of networks and institutions that perpetuate what they believe are harmful norms and a less happy society. Complaints about retail (and other) jobs have become a consistent source of creative content across platforms like TikTok in recent months too. Now, viral posters on r/antiwork have been harnessing to take their sentiment into real work action - advocating for a general strike (mainly for retail and hospitality staff) “Blackout Black Friday '' and brainstorming how people can do so in different ways via “slowdowns” (inefficient working) or “work to rule”.

SAVVY, MEGA DEAL HUNTING

Where there is ‘over hype’, young buyers want to see some return on investment. For those who are looking to ‘participate’ in Black Friday (whether it is to stock up on things they buy regularly like skincare, or to make some big purchases), the discounts offered need to be substantial to cut through. Savvy shoppers are not interested in engaging in discount offers if they don’t seem real or if they simply don’t seem discounted enough.

“I will be attracted to Black Friday if they offer discounts 50% and above.” Jacob, 30

“A dress that was £69 you're reducing to £62 and calling it a sale, why don't you just slap me.” Bolu Babalola

True to their natural hacker mindset, younger shoppers are more than happy to put in the groundwork to get prepared for what they want to buy on the cheap, and they understand the benefit of Black Friday for retailers - none of it is going over their heads. Where on the one hand some Black Friday ‘hacks’ are framed as mindful consumption tips and tricks (helping people buy things they actually want and need), on the other hand bargain hunting hacks are prevalent (helping people understand how to spot a genuine bargain and avoid scams).

“I think you can get good bargains on Black Friday if you’ve pre-prepared for it, like if you know what you’re looking for and stuff like that because most of the time. Black Friday is a way for shops to get rid of stock they couldn’t move throughout the year or even a year before.” Sarah, 19

RETAIL INNOVATION

Here are some of the innovative Black Friday campaigns that caught our eye:

• Deciem, the beauty brand group that is home of The Ordinary, runs a month-long discount with 23% off for the month, calling it Sloveember. Why? They are allowing people the time, headspace, and selection to welcome only the products most suited to their specific needs into their homes.
• Fashion brand Birdsong London offers customers to choose their own discount while being transparent with their product offering. The award winning #TransparentFriday Manifesto goes hand in hand with a 15% and 25% discount for you to choose.
• Luxury sneaker/clothing app/retail destination GOAT is offering an all-new immersive experience for Black Friday, with a week-long initiative that will see exclusive drops and raffles but it will also include the introduction of ‘Spaces’ — a platform for members to produce their own moodboard-like worlds.

BRAND TAKEOUTS

Black Friday has become symbolic to many as a manifestation of ‘status quo’ - making it ripe for subversion. Cyber sales have begun to spark much deeper analysis of consumption and its impact on people and the planet. It’s evolved into a day where responsibility and sustainability messaging are well established at the other head of the table. To tap into these growing conversations you can:

• Get clear about your brand perspective on Black Friday - don’t just mindlessly go along for the ride
• Be bold and brave in communicating brand values & real responsibility initiatives
• Look to impact & change the perspective of your audience to have a positive affect on shopping attitudes and behaviours

When it comes to the younger Black Friday buyer, they are looking for mega deals - often planning in advance and really considering their needs when it comes to purchasing. You can help by:

• Communicating well in advance what is happening and how you can get involved - deals should be transparent and not confusing
• Communicating why big discounts are possible (eg. lightly damaged stock / old stock)
• Not hide big shipping costs!
• Create content that helps to bring the services/products to life - from BTS of shoots to UGC, they want to see it all (not just the presentable IG feed shot!).