As retailers blast your inbox with ‘can’t miss’ Black Friday deals, brands like Patagonia, Decathlon, and The Ordinary are urging their customers to keep their wallets closed.
Driving the news: A growing number of retailers are boycotting the shopping holiday this year for reasons like environmental concerns, not wanting to promote excessive consumption and waste, and a desire to protect the perceived value of their brands.
- Ikea has long avoided big discounts on Black Friday in favour of trade-in programs, while Patagonia and Fjällräven have chosen to highlight the quality of their full-priced products.
- Luxury brands like Tiffany & Co. sit out Black Friday sales because steep discounts can erode the perception of exclusivity and premium quality of their products.
Why it matters: Nearly half of Canadians are expected to buy something new today. While the brands that are offering deals will see a boost in sales, experts say the retailers opting to sit on the sidelines could be the ones that benefit from brand loyalty over the long term.
Big picture: As some brands opt out, others are making the one-day shopping blitz a month-long affair. Between 2019 and 2023, global retail media spending in the two weeks leading up to Black Friday was up 17%, while Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales actually dropped 13%.—LA