The Madness of Black Friday
This is madness.
After a day of feasting and gratitude, mobbing malls and shopping center is a grotesque and bleak activity. Such is the reality of Black Friday, the lowest common denominator of American consumerism.
In truth, I do work today. I have no ethical qualms about this, though, because my company doesn’t open until the reasonable hour of 8:00 AM, our clients (and they are clients, not customers) don’t trample other people as they make their way through merchandise and there are no special sales. To me, this is a consumer model that works, and I reserve exception for the rare retailers who inject a dose of ethics into a day rife with the worst sort of greed, as well as small businesses with Black Friday deals (or who participate in Small Business Saturday).
Black Friday allows people to treat clothing as commodity - while the day centers around hunting down fashion deals, it’s not fashionable in the least. Clothing and other goods become denigrated when they’re treated as disposable possessions instead of pieces that add richness to our lives, that tell a story and have intent behind their purchase. That doesn’t mean one ought not to pick up a piece from the sale rack on a whim. Rather I think people would change their buying habits if presented with reasons to value quality over quantity. Keeping up with the Joneses is passé anyhow. Minimalism is chic.
Why go to the store when you can shop from your laptop instead?
If you decide to participate in Black Friday, do so with a conscience. There are plenty of online deals at reputable retailers. Mr. Porter currently has a wonderful sale going on, as do smaller sites like No Man Walks Alone (a great place to look for Italian tailoring when on a budget). If you’re hell-bent on saving dough and have waited for drastic price reductions on a certain good, find it at a store that doesn’t open at midnight or 6:00 AM. Better yet, support local businesses offering sales. If that’s too much for you, take a page from REI, the outdoor gear store famous for closing on Black Friday and encouraging customers to get out in nature instead. Amid all the consumerism and greed, a breath of fresh air is what we need.