Brace yourself, it’s almost time for Black Friday. The delirious day of discounts where almost everyone plans to stock up on gifts and goodies before Xmas.
Black Friday sales have soared year over year. The event brought billions in revenue last time round. And it surely won’t be any different in 2025.
It’s not just about the economy though. In the UK alone, Black Friday sales have released 386,243 tonnes of carbon according to Money.co.uk. That’s equivalent to the CO2 produced by 215 flights between London and Sydney. It’s also said that 80% of products we buy end up in landfills or incinerated after a very short life. Which can’t be helped by the retail bonanza that’s round the corner.
On the other hand, perhaps the more authentic Black Friday deals give folk a better chance to buy what they need. But overall, Black Friday is more than a little suspect – if you ask us. Here are some scary stats:
So, to avoid all the messy Black Friday mayhem, of the environmental and interpersonal kind, let’s take a look at some brands that are doing things differently and more sustainably in 2025. And it’s not just boycotts, there are plenty of other creative approaches, some of them involving more responsible discounting.
Important note: We’re updating this right now in the run-up to the event. If you’re from a brand that’s running a campaign in 2025 – do let us know so we can feature you – you can contact us here to tell us all about it. And if you’re a person interested in what’s happening this year, then subscribe at the end of the post and we’ll send you an email update as soon as we have the full 2025 lineup together.
1) BlueCity x The Swapshop
- Product: Secondhand clothing x Circular economy platform
- Campaign: F*ck Black Friday – Change 2025
- Region: The Netherlands
BlueCity, a circular economy hub in Rotterdam, is a brand we featured last year and they’re at it again in 2025 – spreading the alternative message about circularity, to offset the deluge of so-called bargains that rapidly end up in the bin.
The plans are pretty spectacular, this year. The old Tropicana wave pool (see below) will be transformed into a circular department store!
Macy’s this is not – by a long stretch. Folk are invited to:
- Join in: swap, repair, knit or pimp clothes.
- Bring in damaged clothing so it can be repaired.
- Discover original, sustainable December gifts at the market.
- Take a guided tour of the pool (where BlueCity is also based).
- Attend upcycling workshops – including embroidery, screen printing and natural dyes.
- Enjoy a free sauna session in the new Lava Sauna.
Saunas and circularity – sustainability that soothes. That sounds right up our street! We’re a bit disappointed that we’re just a tad too far from Rotterdam to get involved.
2) Cheeks Ahoy
- Product: Zero-waste household goods
- Campaign: Almost Perfect Sale
- Region: North America
As a zero-waste brand, Cheeks Ahoy’s mission is to encourage folk to be more mindful of their consumption and to make simple changes that collectively create a sizeable impact. Instead of pushing over-the-top discounts and cringy marketing fluff, they use this time of year to make zero-waste living more accessible.
The messaging is about raising awareness of the true cost of Black Friday, while offering an optimistic alternative. There are discounts to be had but those discounts are a special effort to reduce waste. Throughout the year, some of the items they produce have slight aesthetic imperfections – just enough that they can’t be sold as regular items, even though the products are still perfectly functional. These items are set aside for Green Friday where they are sold as part of their seasonal “Almost Perfect” collection at a discounted price.
Last year, Cheeks Ahoy partnered with an organization to help plant millions of trees around the world. Every order during Green Friday was another tree planted. But even that seemed a bit gimmicky, so since then they’ve simply continue to plant a tree with every order year-round. The more trees the better.
3) REI
- Product: Outdoor gear
- Campaign: OptOutside
- Region: USA
For the tenth consecutive year, REI will shut the doors of its 195+ retail locations, headquarters, and distribution centers on Black Friday. Instead, the company will pay its 15,000 employees to spend the day outside and rejuvenate
It’s one of the most famous examples of a large retailer sacrificing one of the busiest sales days of the year to reject claustrophobic retail frenzy in favour of fresh air in open spaces.
Nevertheless, it’d be puritanical to not expect social media integration, so there’ll be a push encouraging folk to share their outdoor activities using the #OptOutside hashtag. To help, REI will offer a curated list of peaceful places to visit to emphasize “nature therapy” over “retail therapy.”
4) ColieCo
- Product: Lingerie and swimwear
- Campaign: Awaj Foundation
- Region: Portugal & worldwide
Next stop: ColieCo, who make lingerie and swimwear from sustainable fabrics – meaning either recycled, upcycled, or sustainable textiles like Bamboo or Tencel. They’re admittedly offering discounts (20% off sitewide) to all customers but, as in previous years, for every order placed, they’ll be making a donation to the Awaj Foundation, a grassroots labour rights NGO in Bangladesh supporting and empowering female workers, advocating for their voices, safety, and fair treatment by the industry.
It’s a cause that needs amplified because the poor treatment of garment workers in Bangladesh by both the industry and government is well-documented and has deteriorated in recent years due to rising demand. The Foundation’s cause is one ColieCo has supported for a while now and previous campaigns have led to a heap of handy support for the foundation’s work. Let’s hope this year will be just as rousing.
5) FREITAG
- Product: bags
- Campaign: DON’T SHOP, JUST S.W.A.P.
- Region: Switzerland
For the 7th year in a row, Freitag, the Zurich-based bag brand, will be closing its online stores. But they’ll also be closing the checkout counters at their physical stores. Instead, they’ll use this day to promote the brand’s digital S.W.A.P. platform (Shopping Without Any Payment), to help bags that are no longer adored find a new owner.
On Friday, November 28th, 2025 from 5:00 PM, anyone with a FREITAG bag can swap it for another at numerous physical stores throughout Europe and Asia. There will also be drinks and music. Tempting.
6) Dille and Kamille
- Product: Home, garden, & kitchen store
- Campaign: Green Friday
- Region: The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
For Dille and Kamille – a one-stop shop for sustainable home, garden, and kitchen items – Black Green Friday is not about buying and consuming but sowing and greening. For the fourth year in a row, they’ll close all their physical and online stores.
You’re almost certainly thinking: lifeforms from the Kingdom Plantae should not suffer from these closures!! Don’t worry: while regular services will be paused, the company’s plant service will be OPEN. Folk can still call with plant-related inquiries or pick up a free packet o’ plant seeds at the closed locations.
Elsewhere, bereft customers are encouraged to do something natural via a gallimaufry of green tips, including suggestions on cozy winter walks.
7) KEELA
- Product: Sportswear and outdoor gear
- Campaign: Bright Friday
- Region: Worldwide
What is it about outdoor brands and their desire to do a bit of good? A stronger connection to nature, perhaps… KEELA is the second one on our list that’s decided Black Friday is the perfect time to teach folk about mindful consumption. If you’re going to make a purchase, might as well do it with some purpose.
This year makes it the seventh consecutive year that the brand will skip heavy discounting. Instead, they’ll be donating the equivalent value usually set aside for Black Friday discounts to Cash For Kids’ Mission Christmas Appeal. From November 21st to December 1st 2025, 15% of KEELA’s online sales will be donated to help the children’s charity in their mission to make sure underprivileged children don’t go without during the yuletide season.
8) Colorful Standard
- Product: Sustainable clothing
- Campaign: We Love Colors
- Region: Worldwide
We’d expect nothing less from Colorful Standard, a slow fashion brand making simple – yet colorful – clothing almost entirely from organic cotton and recycled materials. They never do Black Friday and each year they spread a different message. This Black Friday, through social media, their website, and their newsletter, they say, “We love colors, not Black Friday.” Colorful Standard wants us to choose them because it’s the right fit for our wardrobes, not because of a rushed sale.
9) ECOALF
- Product: Sustainable clothing
- Campaign: Where Everything Dis-appears
- Region: EU
ECOALF has never participated in Black Friday, so you’ll find a-big-fat-zero discounts on their website. Last year, founder Javier Goyeneche and filmmaker Stella Banderas traveled to the Atacama Desert in Chile to witness fast fashion’s impact on the environment and raise awareness of the damage that ensues when people buy discount ‘bargains’ that they don’t really need.
Once known for its pristine beauty, over 39,000 tons of secondhand clothing are illegally dumped in that desert every year, making it one of the world’s largest fast fashion landfills. This Black Friday, they’ve travelled to Accra in Ghana with the same mission to reveal what happens to all of the poor-quality, mixed-fiber clothing once the next trend comes along. Check out the eye-opening video below.
10) IKEA
- Product: You’ve been to IKEA
- Campaign: Choices for Change
- Region: Worldwide
This year at IKEA – Black Friday will be about taking part in actions that care for our planet. The headline action is that if you return an IKEA product you’ll receive 30% more than you normally would – a sign of IKEA’s growing circularity chops. Secondly, there will be some discounts but only if you buy an ‘energy solution’, such as solar panels, where you’ll receive a 15% discount on IKEA furniture and accessories. IKEA will also spend some extra time promoting the more sustainable items in its collection.
All of this will happen from the 21st of November until the 4th of December – and IKEA will also use the time to reflect on, and celebrate its own successes over recent years. For example, its circular hubs (where you’ll receive that 30% more), have now sold over 2,252,075 products!
11) Haglöfs
- Product: Sportswear and outdoor gear
- Campaign: Cold shoulder
- Region: Worldwide
We’re only at number eleven and oh look, the 3rd outdoor brand on our list! This Swedish brand has taken as stance against Black Friday for 10 years. This year is no different. Their stores will be open, but with no additional discounts. It’s just business as usual. The act doesn’t mean they’re completely against promotions, and the reason why is explained. Black Friday sales represent systemic large-scale discounting that puts supply chains under pressure – leading to cascading issues behind the bargains. Typical sales, on the other hand, are a means to reduce stock levels responsibly when there are unnecessary items left. It’s a simple approach but anyone who brings awareness to the supply-chain problems of overconsumption at this time of year is doing something right in our book.
12) The Ordinary & DECIEM
- Product: Skincare and beauty
- Campaign: Slowvember
- Region: Worldwide
Black Friday deals typically last only a few days and there’s the risk of getting into a frenzy of FOMO and buying something silly. To deter this panic buying, the DECIEM family of beauty brands is offering a 23% discount from the 1st of November right up to December 7th 2025 on all of the brand’s websites: The Ordinary, NIOD and Loopha. The websites will also be closed on the 28th of November – the eye of the storm – in a subversive act known as the “Blackout Period”.
The message to bargain hunters is to take time to consider the purchase and not be swept along by the hype, which is reaching an all-time high. The amount that each customer can order at the discount price will be limited, too.
It’s a campaign that’s not against discounts, per-se, but against the fearful emotions behind the worst, most wasteful of The Discounts.
13) ASKET
- Product: Sustainable clothing
- Campaign: Closed For Business – Open For Repairs
- Region: Worldwide
You will not find any flashy, tempting sales at ASKET this year. Same as last year. ASKET makes clothing more responsibly, and by not lowering their prices for Black Friday, we’re all being urged by them to buy more responsibly too. Or, well, not buy at all. No new garments can be purchased on Friday, November 28th on their website and for the entire weekend in their Stockholm stores.
Instead, ASKET will be open for repairs on any of their garments. You can order spare parts online, or swing by their stores for free repairs. Now that’s a good Green Friday!
14) Palava
- Product: Sustainable clothing
- Campaign: Black Doesn’t Suit Us
- Region: UK/Worldwide
Black Friday doesn’t suit Palava. Aside from the sustainability concerns we wrote about earlier – there’s the color contrast. Palava makes hand-crafted clothing in bright, joyous prints – at the opposite end of the spectrum to Black Friday’s ominous mono-palette.
Then, Black Friday is about mass consumerism. Palava makes unique clothing in small batches, for folk who want to wear something a little different. There’s almost zero chance you’d stroll onto the street and find someone else in the same splendid Palava creation you’re rocking.
Palava won’t be taking part and will instead be promoting their new pre-loved program where customers can buy second-hand Palava pieces on the website. They can also trade in Palava pieces they no longer wear and receive credit in return.
15) Kotn
- Product: Clothing
- Campaign: Primary Schools in Egypt
- Region: Worldwide
100% of sales. Nothing less. That’s how much natural clothing brand Kotn is giving to help build 2 more primary schools in rural Egypt, where the cotton from their collections is grown. It’s a full-circle moment! Since 2017, they’ve done the same thing: skipped Black Friday sales and donated 100% of earnings to fund schools in villages where students would otherwise not know how to read and write. Even outside of Black Friday, a portion of each Kotn order has helped construct 23 schools so far and with these two new ones, that’ll reach 25. Riotous applause.
So from Friday, November 28th to Tuesday, December 2nd, rest assured any purchase you make from Kotn will be put towards bringing education to a place that needs it. Not bringing bargains of questionable value.
16) Lucy & Yak
- Product: Clothing
- Campaign: Sending girls to school
- Region: Worldwide
Lucy & Yak’s famously fun dungarees were first made close to Pushkar, an ancient town in Rajasthan, Northwest India. In this region lies the Fior di Loto Foundation, whose mission is bringing education to the girls of the region.
Lucy & Yak has supported this mission every Black Friday, since 2018. And this year, they’re once again donating half of all their profits over the period to the foundation – from 21st November to the 2nd of December 2025. Over the last 7 years, the donations have funded 1,291 years of education for girls living in villages around Pushkar. This year will deliver more hours, more knowledge, more literacy, and more opportunities.
17) ChattyFeet
- Product: Socks
- Campaign: Feet Up, Trees Up
- Region: Worldwide
Funky sock brand ChattyFeet is stepping up with another tree-mendous campaign. Last year, they donated £2.5 per purchase on their website to Cool Earth, an NGO funding Indigenous communities to protect endangered rainforests and fight climate change. This year, from Black Friday until Sunday, every purchase will plant a tree where it’s needed most – in partnership with the award-winning Treeapp. There will be no discounts.
And we might add that while socks don’t normally standout, these ones are rather spectacular. Take a look at these Meghan Ankle socks. There are also screaming art socks and philosophy socks.
18) Treeapp
- Product: Tree-planting app
- Campaign: National Tree Week
- Region: UK
We’ve just mentioned Treeapp in the last campaign and the company will ignore Black Friday and instead run a billboard campaign for National Tree Week, the UK’s largest annual celebration of trees, which runs over the same period.
The campaign is to distract bargain-seekers’ attention with cheeky messages about planting trees for free in the places where they’re needed most. Isn’t that a fantastic bargain that’s beyond anything else shouting at you on the high-street? It may even help to sequester some CO2 from all those spontaneous purchases that end in the bin next year.
At Akepa, we’re not always enthusiastic about the tree-planting approach but there are companies that plant impactfully and Treeapp is one of those. They’ve planted over 6 million trees worldwide and have been recognised with major awards and a B Corp score that has risen to 123.8, which is an exceptionally high mark.
So what to do this Black Friday?
With all this blah blah about Black Friday and sustainability, it is easy to forget that the best way to reduce your impact is to buy better and to buy less. But if you just can’t help yourself and need to check out this year’s Black Friday deals, then why not have a peek at some of smaller, local, and sustainable brands, or at least invest in some big ticket items that you will use for years to come.
And don’t forget: if you fancy a massive 126% Black Friday discount on our digital marketing services, plus a free Akepa branded frisbee, then of course get in touch and we’ll sort that out for you with our unmissable Black Friday deal that’s valid for the entire month of November, and December.
Not really.
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