Friday, November 26, 2021 - Blog on a Log
Closed Black Friday - Volunteering Instead 4th Annual
Closed Black Friday Volunteering Instead
November 26, 2021
Four years ago we decided we hated the idea of Black Friday enough that we would just shut down the store for the day and shun all the Black Friday Deals.
But we did hope to make a bit of a point so we chose to do something more valuable with our time and instead took all of our staff in Winnipeg to the Main Street Project and the RFDA food bank in Thunder Bay to volunteer our time for the day for those in need.
When we first did this we actually got a lot of people talking and really loving the idea. Four years later - after pandemic shutdowns and major supply chain shortages some of our other friends in retail still tell us they love the idea but I can tell that they are really just thinking we are crazy. How can we shut down on a day like Black Friday when we've been through such a rollercoaster over the last couple of years and the forecast for 2022 is completely unknown?
I'll admit the thought did run through my mind that we could probably open and most people would never notice. Probably a few who have been our big supporters over the last few years would but the vast majority of people would never realize or remember that we'd ever been closed this day.
But we are a company of people who stand behind our core values and our beliefs. Four years ago we said we would not buy into the Black Friday hype and we would remain closed and continue to encourage other retail stores to join us. Not many have joined us.
The reality for us is that we are in the retail industry. We sell stuff. We have awesome outdoor gear on offer for all of our customers and it really is great quality product. We do well as a store when you come and support us and decide to purchase your outdoor gear from us. From time to time you will also find some great “deals” in in both our physical and online stores. But Black Friday is a day designed by marketing folks to sell more stuff just for the sake of selling more stuff.
We live in a world today where we really need to be conscious about what we purchase and how much we purchase. It's important to consider the quality and the quantity of what we buy. Our landfills are being filled with stuff that is barely used, broken and discarded. Our lives are cluttered by the many things we have in our households. Our finances are being tapped by the constant marketing to buy more. Manufacturing more and more stuff is putting immense strain on our planet and resources.
We do hope you choose to support our business and purchase your outdoor gear from us but there will always be another day to do so. We are open tomorrow but for today we are hoping you might spend some time thinking about how much you buy, what you buy and why you buy it. Do something nice for someone else and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow!
Rick Shone
Chief Adventure Officer!