What is Green Friday? How do you use it?

For online retailers, November is often dominated by Black Friday. This year, it takes place on 26 November, but it is coming under increasing criticism, and with good reason: the overwhelming discounts offered by brands, whether online or in physical shops, can sometimes lead to excessive consumption, which runs counter to current environmental concerns.

Rather than making consumers feel guilty about their spending power, why not join the Green Friday movement?

Green Friday in a nutshell

Green Friday is arguably more in tune with current awareness of our consumption patterns than its ‘evil twin’. It offers a sensible and reasonable alternative, promoting second-hand and pre-owned goods, for example, in contrast to traditional sales campaigns. Green Friday is set to revolutionise its predecessor by pioneering a more responsible approach to consumption. More than just an incentive to buy – and therefore to consume – Green Friday is, above all, designed to challenge us, to make us reflect as consumers and to realise the impact of our purchases.

Please note, the aim is not to make your customers feel guilty, but rather to provide information to help them realise their future role as ‘consum’actors’.

How do you organise a Green Friday?

You don’t have to organise a Green Friday in the strict sense of the term if your brand isn’t yet actively committed to this approach; giving the traditional Black Friday a miss and choosing not to run any special promotions on that date is sometimes a deliberate choice made by brands.

However, if these issues are at the heart of your brand’s strategy, what better time than Green Friday to talk about them?

• Showcase your commitments: corporate philosophy, CSR initiatives, support programmes and/or grants for organisations working in sustainable development… If your company or brand is involved in a project relating to these issues, now is the time to talk about it. Social media, your website, newsletters, in-store displays… there’s no shortage of ways to reach your customers.

• Highlight ‘green’ products: whether they’re made from recycled materials, eco-friendly materials, or are second-hand items, there’s no better time for them to take centre stage on your shelves, end-cap displays or on the front page of your website.

• Offer other ‘green’ benefits: such as discounts or free delivery (a bonus if it’s carbon-neutral), or a sustainable or recycled gift when a basket totalling a certain amount is confirmed.
• Use the PIM to streamline the implementation of your initiatives.

Conclusion

Although Green Friday is still in its infancy, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the impact their consumption choices can have – choices that may be at odds with current environmental goals.

Brands, too, are listening to their customers and learning how to get involved, regardless of the sector they operate in: fashion, eyewear, retail… with brands such as Nature & Découverte, Aigle and Jimmy Fairly, which are boycotting the much-maligned Black Friday so as not to encourage unreasonable overconsumption.