A different kind of Friday
The Black Friday Phenomenon
Researchers have proven it: Friday is our favorite day! Well, this American study dates back to 2012 and, okay, it mainly compared weekdays at work, so we admit it's not super reliable as a source. But thinking about it, it seems quite coherent: we know that at the end of the day, the weekend starts, the next day we can sleep in, and at the office, the dress code is often more relaxed. Therefore, we love Fridays!
But there is one Friday in the year that is even more appreciated by bargain hunters: the last Friday of November, the famous Black Friday. A sales phenomenon imported to France from the United States almost a decade ago, Black Friday Weekend breaks sales records like no other sales event. One might think that as an e-retailer, this is a desired result, except that it comes with a hefty price tag, and the one who has to foot the biggest bill is our planet.
Alarming Statistics in France
Last year, according to Criteo data, Black Friday generated a sales peak of +127% compared to the October monthly average in France. Fashion led the way with 68% among the most favored products during Black Friday (Insee / BVG-Orange 2019). It must be said that this shopping event comes just a month before the year-end holidays, when expenses are always higher than at any other time of the year.
Saving money is a understandable desire, but unfortunately, it often comes at the expense of the environment, independent manufacturers, and even the quality of the items. Because behind these tempting deals with their crossed-out prices and 50% off tags, there are often low-quality collections, specially produced for Black Friday, to be sold at a discount. Don't believe us? Imagine, if a brand sells an item at -70%, surely its margin is significantly reduced. Unless, of course, the production cost of that item is lower than the non-discounted product. This is a technique unfortunately often employed by fast fashion brands: inflate the selling price to apply a huge discount and stimulate FOMO (fear of missing out) in the consumer's mind.
Nevertheless, there is a slightly positive twist to note, as 46% of consumers plan to make these purchases from small online retailers in support of the effects of the health crisis (PowerReviews 2020).
Towards Responsible and Supportive Alternatives
Well, it's not all doom and gloom, because in addition to the positive effects the health crisis had on our consumption habits (less, better, and local), the efforts made by more and more brands, especially DNVB brands, are remarkable and pave the way for a more responsible sector. Collective movements like "Make Friday Green Again," launched in 2019 by Faguo, and simple opponents of Black Friday, are multiplying and diversifying actions.
At The Nines, if we've always had our clothes and accessories made with the same European and artisanal quality, it's been since 2018 that we officially oppose this phenomenon of discounted sales by trying to give a more supportive meaning to this late November weekend. And supportive is really the keyword here: as a partner of La Cravate Solidaire de Bordeaux since 2019, every year we hold a solidarity sale in place of the traditional Black Friday. Our end-of-collection items are therefore displayed at reduced prices for 4 days, and the profits are donated to the association in the form of material donations. For them, it provides elegant outfits of great quality to promote the professional reintegration of their candidates, and for us, it helps clear the slight surplus of stock from our limited editions.