Haeckels to offer retail spaces to smaller brands for Black Friday
Image: Haeckels
Instead of hosting a sale, skincare brand Haeckels will offer their retail spaces in Margate and London to smaller brands
As Black Friday approaches on November 25, the surge of businesses scrabbling to participate in this annual celebration of consumerism begins to escalate. But as others prepare their promotions and brace themselves for the bunfight one business is eschewing its own promotions to help smaller retailers showcase their products instead.
Award-winning independent natural skincare brand Haeckels will be offering its retail spaces in Margate and London to smaller brands with big ambitions. ‘As Black Friday approaches, we receive countless emails asking us if we will do any promotions. As usual, the answer is no,’ said a spokesperson for the brand. ‘In fact, this year, we’re not even going to be taking any money at all.’
Instead, it plans to remove its products and offer small businesses the use of its shelf space something it hopes will help amplify and promote those making a difference, pushing boundaries and creating change.
Along with offering up its retail space, Haeckels will also provide marketing and access to its network to support a more sustainable consumption — and make a clear statement around about the Black Friday concept. And they’re not the only businesses to push back on this event, which began in the US — brands such as Patagonia, GiffGaff, Asda and Deciem have all boycotted or subverted the event over the past few years as part of a growing anti-Black Friday movement that eschews what many see as mindless, hyper-capitalist fervour.
Haeckels’ Black Friday decision sits within the strong general ethical ethos of the business itself, which positions itself as an ‘amplifier of the natural world’ and ‘a community problem solver’. Its minimal waste goal is met through its use of recyclable or compostable packaging and its sustainable efficacy using waste natural resources and abundant ingredients such as locally hand-harvested seaweed in its products.
And if shoppers really want to boost their sustainability feelgood they can also collect a bag of beach rubbish the next day to return to the shop with visual proof of where it came from — to get a free product from Haeckels under its Rubbish for Product scheme.
Companies interested in using the retail space can apply here