As a Brit, I’ve always been slightly bemused by the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. They are a relatively new concept to me because up until the last few years, focus in the UK was mainly on Boxing Day and New Years sales instead.
Whilst studying for my Masters, I worked in retail as a sales assistant for Topshop and it’s this experience that has made me really quite cynical of sales in general. Often clothing got shipped in especially for sales and it was nearly always items that looked cheap and awful. Customers would behave in a bizarre fashion, pushing and shoving at one another to get a ‘good bargain.’ They would be angry with staff and impatient at the cash desk. So all in all, sales are not my favourite time of year.
This brings me back to Black Friday.
I want to be clear right from the outset that I’m not against sales - there are definitely good bargains to be had - my message is to proceed with caution, do your research and check whether you are really getting a good deal.
Why I’m not participating:
I’m well aware that articles such as these can come across as preachy and self-righteous. However, I’m actually writing this as someone who could formerly be described as a shopaholic.
Yes, I’ve always been sceptical of sales, but I also used to spend a lot on impulse buys. But here’s the thing, the ‘stuff’ never made me feel that good. In fact, I usually felt guilty about my purchases.
When my 13 year old son was little, I did buy things just because, but most of it ended up being donated when we moved to Australia. By the time by daughter came along 6.5 years after him, I had to start again. But this time, I was determined to make more intentional choices with a focus on open-ended toys.
Nowadays, I save up throughout the year for Christmas presents and I do careful research to buy intentional gifts for my children and other family members. I then buy gifts from September onwards so that I can really take my time and avoid impulse buys.
Are you genuinely getting a ‘good bargain?’
I understand the call of sales and discounts. Especially in this current economic climate. But there’s a big difference between a genuine bargain and a product that has been marked up, then down to normal price in time for a sale.
Consumer magazine Which? Recently published an article all about avoiding fake Black Friday deals, which you can read about here.
My husband uses the website Camel,Camel, Camel to track the products he wants to buy. It’s fascinating to see the price drops and increases over time - and it highlights the fact that Black Friday isn’t always the best time to get a good deal.
According to a study done by Idealo.co.uk, 8/10 products in Black Friday Sales were revealed to be cheaper in the four weeks before and after the day.
Have you found a genuinely good bargain in a Black Friday sale? Let me know in the comments:
Do you really need ‘the thing’
Going back to my experiences as a Topshop retail assistant, there’s nothing quite like a sale to highlight how much we as humans simply love the idea of a good bargain. Seeing customers falling over themselves (and each other) for items that we’d never seen on the shop floor before was illuminating.
My mother-in-law has a great tactic when considering what she will buy. She imagines that the item is in a charity shop (goodwill) instead of a store - would the item still be appealing when it’s not displayed in a fancy way?
I’ve started applying this to the items I want to buy for myself.
Money Saving Expert, Martin Lewis has some advice about Black Friday sales, which you can read about here.
"If you were going to buy it anyway and it is half price, you've saved 50%.If you weren't going to buy it, but do cos it's half price, you've wasted 100%."
Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert via Twitter
Sales are a stressful Shopping Experience
Do you genuinely enjoy sales shopping? Really think about it for a second.
According to Idealo.co.uk:
89% of shoppers find Black Friday a stressful experience:
32% wonder if the deal is genuine or not
24% regretted the purchases they made
Black Friday and Cyber Monday puts pressure on small businesses
The event also puts pressure on small businesses to make discounts to their products that they just can’t afford. That’s why Holly Tucker MBE (founder of Not on the High Street) launched ‘Colour Friday’ in 2021. According to her website holly.co:
In a recent poll, half of UK small business owners said they’re genuinely concerned that this will be their last Christmas trading.
Sky News Small Business Report
Colour Friday encourages consumers to shop small and shop locally in order to support small businesses that offer unique products.
Black Friday isn’t great for the environment either
Carbon emissions generated from Black Friday online sales alone are equivalent to 215 flights from London to Sydney
Money.co.uk via holly.co
My sister in law, Elinor Thomas - founder of Consciously Elle has many tips on her Instagram page regarding sustainable purchases that make a good alternative to Black Friday sales.
Alternative Gifts
Gift giving (and receiving) can be a tricky topic. There can be a lot of emotion around this and sometimes, you can be left with a lot of gifts that cause overwhelm - despite good intentions. Here are some of the suggestions I give to relatives who want to send presents to the children:
Practical clothes: so important for the winter months. Think all-in-one waterproofs or snow boots.
Annual membership: either to a museum or online, age depending.
All of the books! You can never go wrong with them in my opinion.
Outdoor equipment: either sports related or items like a magnifying glass to encourage more outdoor play.
Art resources: rarely go-off and are always appreciated (at least by us)
A special date day: suggest relatives take your child out for a cafe date or day trip rather than buying more stuff.
Would you add any suggestions to this list?
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Thank you for the mention Sian x