As sustainable brands close their doors for Black Friday, artist and designer Sarah Hamilton encourages to you to buy ‘just a card’.
Vitsœ has closed its doors for Black Friday – an American import which sees shops slash prices the day after Thanksgiving. “We are bemused by the spread of Black Friday,” said a statement from the brand. “Surely it promotes the polar opposite of the needs of our fragile planet.”
British furniture designer, Sebastian Cox has followed suit saying: “Black Friday is absurd. People wrestling over televisions isn’t really our cup of tea and although we are a business, we don’t believe in mindless consumerism; our workshop opened its doors in order to prove sustainability could be stylish.”
And American outdoor brand Recreational Equipment Inc is doing the same, giving employees at its 143 stores a day off on full pay. A temporary homepage on their website says “We’re not here” and and encourages its customers to spend the day enjoying the great outdoors instead of shopping (although the website is still open for business).
In San Francisco Wood Thumb has gone one step further by increasing its prices by 20{ff546b69e23b1524d799f96c6ba7a638e1f677053b0a2a1568b05315fd5f8fc7} and will be handing the additional profit straight to the craftspeople whose products it sells in the form of a ‘Maker’s Bonus.’ “I’m concerned that the mega-sales of Black Friday have painful, negative impacts on retail workers and craftspeople in the United States and around the world,” said Christopher Steinrueck, Wood Thumb’s founder.
Offering an alternative to the “mindless consumerism” that increasingly characterises the fourth Friday in November, artist and designer Sarah Hamilton has launched Just A Card, a campaign to encourage people to buy from artists, designers and independent shops and galleries.
The campaign came about when Sarah heard someone who had recently closed their gallery saying, “If everyone who’d complimented our beautiful gallery had bought just a card, we’d still be open.” The idea is to let people know that even really small purchases can make a difference.
“The Just A Card campaign is one very close to my heart, says Yellowstone Art Boutique owner Hannah Stoney. “Luckily our customers make both big and small purchases, all of which keep our independent shop thriving. But it saddens me to see so many small shops around us closing down. I urge customers to never feel embarrassed that you can’t afford to buy a big framed picture. Just a card can go a really long way.”
The Design Trust and Mollie Makes have both got behind the campaign. “Supporting local businesses is crucial if we want to keep our High Streets alive and buzzing with independent, exciting and creative shops,” says The Design Trust’s Patricia van den Akker. “Don’t just talk about it – do something about it – shop local and make a real difference.”
So instead of heading off in search of black Friday bargains today, how about helping to spread the word, or buying just one thing on your Christmas shopping list from an artist, designer or independent shop or gallery? Happy shopping!
