Sauce and Brown (Annesley Woodhouse)Sauce and Brown
It is that unique time of the year. Pumpkins and pecans are in season, and the spectre of Black Friday is back – rearing its head once more. Now our American friends have given ‘Thanks’, we join them in spending big, poised to press ‘refresh’ for discounts on hair-straighteners, dishwashers, or maybe even a piano like Elton John’s. This year there is perhaps more of a special British twist, fuelled by a mad pre-Brexit ‘end of the world’ style fervour.
This all sounds a bit apocalyptic (well they did call it black). In fact for some businesses it can be as terrifying. If you are small with tight margins, the pressure to fight even harder for customers, and on price too, can be enough to properly kill off your Christmas spirit.
Black Friday originated in the US in the 60s and applied either to the huge amounts of people and traffic around the centre of town on the day after Thanksgiving, or the peak of Christmas shopping when businesses went from the red into the “black”. However, it now has less of a holiday spirit and is all about competition for deep discounts, that can at times turn ugly.
A race to the bottom has grown up around the day – as retailers vie to offer the biggest discount, the best offer, the bargain TV, Christmas present and other seasonal item. This trend has now crossed borders to become a major milestone in the UK, having a huge impact on the retail calendar, along with our high streets and communities. A new Christmas shopping trend has evolved – people now hold back on spending in the weeks running up to black Friday, conscious of the sale season to come.
For the small business, this is not a race they can win. Small businesses are already working under a lot of pressure, and many, particularly on the high street, rely on the Christmas period to cover their costs for the year. They certainly cannot offer huge 20 per cent, 30 per cent, even in some cases 70 per cent discounts off their products. It is just not feasible.
That is why we as consumers need to look for more in our Christmas spending habits. Is it enough to just go after the discounts? Or should we be looking to put more thought into where exactly it is we are buying from? Just as we worry about how much water is being used to make our jeans, or whether our supermarket is palm oil-free, there is an argument that we should be increasingly mindful of the impact that our spending has on local businesses and communities.
Tea Traders (Carmarthen)Tea Traders
The return to local has increasingly become a trend in recent months. There is a lot of discussion about saving high streets (although I do believe they are going nowhere) and a growing enthusiasm for supporting the local business. People recognise what they stand to lose – not just convenience, but community and connection. Small businesses support their communities every day of the year. They provide employment, essential services, support local schools and hospitals, create character and drive innovation. They have a unique brand of personal customer service that you cannot bottle, brand or recreate.
This value goes far beyond just price. So rather than expecting these businesses that go the extra mile for us all year to drop their prices for Black Friday, why don’t we instead focus on Small Business Saturday, a day designed to work for the small business and not against?
Small Business Saturday is about much more than just price – yes we look for value in small businesses, but also receive a unique personal service, see the way they support our lives in myriad ways, and find that they are often the ones that are there for us when we are in a bind.
Next time you break your arm and can’t wash your hair, it will be that small business hairdresser that helps you out. When you are locked out of your house, it will be the local locksmith that saves the day. When your pipes burst on Christmas Eve, when you need that presentation printed early morning and when your children need some extra help in getting those shoes fitted just right, it is the local business that will step up and help you out.
Rather than putting added pressure on these incredible businesses, we need to embrace a new style of ‘Thanksgiving’ – celebrating and championing the small businesses we rely on and value, day in day out. If we don’t make an effort to support them, not just on Small Business Saturday, but all year round, then they will not be here for us in the future. And that will be a dark day. Perhaps a really black day. Perhaps that would indeed be a Black Friday.