Black Friday and Cyber Monday are days where mindless consumerism stirs up an annual buying frenzy around the world. Companies attempt to lure you with deals and frivolous spending.
Post-covid is this really the direction we want New Zealand retail to head? We have an opportunity to be more considerate and mindful in our society and learn to consume in healthier ways.
“Business has done a rubbish job at creating fairness and sustainability in trade. It’s time for Kiwis to rethink their buying patterns, spend more wisely and demand better.” – Geoff White, Trade Aid CEO
Here are Trade Aid’s top tips you can ask yourself when you’re looking to make a purchase:
- Make intentionality your goal.
- Research before buying so you can be mindful of your purchases.
- Buy less. Do you really need it? Make a list and stick to it.
- Think about your motivations for purchasing and understand your weaknesses.
- Avoid the trends, buy things you love (not just because they are discounted).
- Give more things away than you acquire.
- Minimise packaging. Buy in bulk where possible.
- Avoid single-use products that will create waste. Consider products that can be reused, passed on, or are already second hand.
- Read the label and support brands that are organic, ethical, fair trade, animal and forest friendly, and that consider their eco-footprint.
- Ask the tough questions – either in-store for smaller brands or to the company website or social media pages for larger brands. What do they know about where their products come from? Do they know what conditions they were produced in?
- Find out who the good guys are, be loyal and spread the word.
Trade Aid is a pioneering social enterprise in New Zealand, creating fairness in trade, and has been the benchmark of authenticity in this area, educating the public and other businesses in the process. They believe in accountability and focus on bringing change through long-term partnerships based on honesty, transparency and equity. Fair Trade is the easiest benchmark for companies and consumers to abide by. Trade Aid is accredited by the World Fair Trade Organization’s (WFTO) Guarantee System, the first international fair trade system that verifies organisations’ compliance.
