Black Friday (Friday 26 November 2021) is coming, but at Trade Aid you won’t find a Black Friday sale; we don’t believe in them. We’re saying no to big sales because mass-consumerism makes an unfair world.
Instead, we sell quality goods at a fair price, all year round. Mass consumerism hurts people and our planet. Buying good products made in a fair, sustainable way makes life better for everyone, protects our beautiful earth, and our way of life.
Buying cheap allows big retail to squeeze the little guys and our local industries, who can’t compete with such big loss-leading sales.
Big sales push down wages and lead to an increase in forced labour and modern slavery in product supply chains.
Fast consumerism leads to frivolous spending, and that leads to more wastage that has a huge environmental impact as our landfills fill up.
For Trade Aid, it’s not about not purchasing the things you need or not enjoying your retail experience; it’s how people buy and what products people choose to buy that’s important.
We aim for sustainable, ethical and fair. Black Friday has grown over time to become a frenzied event where customers will do anything to get their hands on goods.
Companies tempt you with deals and frivolous spending. This has led to violence, death and injuries overseas. This is not the buying culture we’d like to see here in Aotearoa.
We have modern slavery risks in the supply chains of many products sold in New Zealand. Global corporation practices can also force suppliers to front the costs of the sale discounts. This puts financial pressure on the supply chain and that can further increase the risk of vulnerable people falling into modern slavery.
Any mass consumerism event with an increase in the sale of these products supports modern slavery practices further.
On Black Friday, our stores won’t have any hustle and bustle. Being more mindful in our lives is required, especially around this busy time of year.
Slowing down helps us to be intentional with our spending. So we thought, what better way to relax than to have a cuppa. If you’d like some respite, come into our stores and we’ll be giving out tea samples for you to take a load off too.
There’s nothing that can’t be solved over a good cuppa tea.
Covid 19 has changed the world and our culture. Kiwi values have brought us together and reminded us we can unite. This pause on life has given us time to reflect on what is truly important.
It’s time to build back better and fairer. With this comes an opportunity for us to rethink our buying decisions, be intentional and put our valuable dollars to better use, to change Aotearoa forever.
Trade Aid seek to level the playing field with intentional shopping and to champion a world where trade is fair and sustainable for all including our trading partners, artisans, and producers.
What can you ask yourself to be a more intentional shopper?
- Make intentionality your goal
- Avoid big sales like Black Friday
- 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 weakness
- Avoid the trends, buy things you love (not just because they are discounted)
- Minimise packgaing. 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? Do they have modern flavery in their supply chains?
- Find out who the good guys are, be loyal and spread the world
- It’s a journey. Grow your knowledge and use it to make better decisions over time
