The Black Friday discussion is once again about to burst loose and will dominate the digital media landscape. The self-proclaimed ‘holiday’ is accused to promote over-consumption, and represents everything that is ‘wrong with the world’. That’s why Black Friday has been seen detrimental and thus skipped for a number of years by brands that have sustainability high on their agenda. But the choice to avoid the hype is not as easy. As a brand, a sale is an ideal time to make some space on the shelves. Moreover, in the Netherlands we simply love a good deal. Plus, what do you do if your online resellers just join in, and you, as the most dutiful girl in class, offer everything at Black Friday full price?
For a number of years now, O My Bag carefully selected and supported charity organizations with the earnings of the Black Friday sales. Not a difficult decision for us, because one of our main goals is to ‘give back’ and invest part of our turnover in the local community where we produce; India.
As a brand we promote fair trade, that means selling more equals more fair and decent work for the people who work in our partner factories. On top, we can make room for new stock/move some excess stock and offer our customers a good deal. Win – win!
This year, the total revenue from the Black Friday sale goes to the Brickfield Schools, an educational project for children living and working in brick factories in West Bengal, India, who often do not receive any formal education. Our goal is to convert 15,000 Euros, which will enable us to sponsor 3 open-air schools in 2020. Our production team, including Jessica, product manager and Paulien, founder, have visited the brickfields themselves, and therefore know that it is a great and impactful project. In 2017, O My Bag provided the children with school bags. With our support, the children will not only be able to go to school at least a couple of hours a day at the brick fields, but the project also helps to integrate them into the regular government school system.
Curious to learn more? We explain all about our Black Friday Fund here.
Love,
Laura Glade & Paulien Wesselink
O My Bag
