Several shops in Europe are resisting the U.S. consumerism tradition of mega sales on Black Friday, opting for a focus on sustainability.
Xandres clothing store in Ghent, Belgium, is offering repairs to clothes instead of deep discounts, per a report from Reuters. The store is dubbing Nov. 25 “Green Friday” and is offering free clothing repair to match its message of sustainability.
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“The idea behind Black Friday is to buy as much clothing as possible at the biggest discount possible. That does not match our sustainability philosophy,” Patrick Desrumaux, chief executive of Xandres, told the outlet. “You cannot buy anything at all from us today. All our shops are closed, the webshop is closed and instead of selling we are going to grant a longer life to clothes by repairing all the clothes that were brought in.”
Home and garden store Dille & Kamille also closed its locations Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany on Nov. 25, encouraging customers to enjoy nature rather than spend the day shopping, according to the report.
Black Friday gained traction in the United States as the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season in the 20th Century, and U.S.-based companies began to expand the savings events internationally in the early 2000s.
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Analysts have predicted Black Friday sales in 2022 may not reach the same levels as previous years due to high inflation causing margins to be tighter for several shops.
