Our Black Friday Give Campaign — why we chose to give to the Retail Trust

An anti Black Friday movement is brewing and we’re proud to be part of it. At first that might seem contradictory as we provide retail lighting. Afterall, our success depends on our clients in the retail industry doing well. However, that doesn’t mean we have to support Black Friday in it’s traditional sense.

Rethinking Black Friday

According to Retail Gazette, IKEA promoted its Buyback & Reuse scheme, Rituals offered deals on its sustainable refills and Rixo gave away £15 from every transaction.

Three weeks ago we posted this update on our LinkedIn page:

Black Friday puts retail in sharp focus. And of course, we love retailers, particularly those with physical stores. But something all too apparent during Black Friday are the problems with the world consuming too much. Making positive change is complicated but it is happening slowly. Movements like conscious consumerism and ethical retail are gaining momentum.

At the same time, shops form the fabric of our society. They’re not just places where items are purchased; they form the backdrop of great memories shared with the people we love and laugh with.

Shops are happy places, but often the majority of those that work in them don’t earn very much. So, this Black Friday, in recognition of the people working in the UK retail sector, we’re donating 3% of the revenue we earn between Monday 21st and Friday 25th of November to The Retail Trust.

Our donation to The Retail Trust

We made our donation of £1,990.38 to the Retail Trust, just a few days after they published their impact report. This short video gives and overview of their outcomes.

Last year they helped 270,256 people, received 14,252 helpline calls, delivered 10,316 counselling sessions and supported 554 people through a critical incident. “From 1832 onwards, the Retail Trust has been caring for and protecting the lives of people working in retail. We believe the health of our colleagues is the foundation they need to flourish in both work and life, creating a more sustainable and successful future for retail.”

We think sustainable success is the balance we should all aspire for and we’re thankful to the Retail Trust for championing the people in retail.

Sustainable success in retail

So what does sustainable success in retail look like? Can we move beyond buying without thought, a culture of over consumption and an unethical supply chain? We think the answer is yes – slowly but surely.

According to OC&C, sustainable consumption is a £150 billion opportunity for the UK, with over 35% of all retail spending now controlled by people choosing to buy from more sustainable retailers. OC&C found the top 10 things conscious consumers are looking for are:

• Efforts to recue carbon emissions
• Use of sustainable raw materials
• Efforts to increase recycling
• Efforts to reduce waste
• Ethical corporate decision making
• Ethical supply chain
• Corporate governance
• Positive community impact
• Positive working environment
• Diversity and inclusion

That’s a strong mix of environmental, governance and social changes that can positively impact people and planet. As a Certified B Corp, we’re proud to be part of the change.