Don’t be consumed by consumerism

This week, stuff we don’t need is being paraded at discounted prices as part of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Turbo Tuesday. Ok, I made up Turbo Tuesday, but these ‘national events’ – originally devised in boardrooms in the US – now generate hundreds of millions of pounds in additional revenue for retailers across the globe. Spend less than a minute on social media, news websites, your emails, watching TV – you won’t be able to avoid the hype. 

Nearly nine in 10 of 2017’s Black Friday ‘deals’, including TVs, cameras and fitness trackers, were cheaper or the same price at other times of the year, according to Which?. Which? again analysed more than 200 offers from 2021’s Black Friday and found that 98% were cheaper or the same price at other times in the year. 

So what is the true value of Black Friday?

Black Friday represents consumerism in its most ugly, shameless form. It brings with it huge social repercussions – people spending too much on stuff they don’t need – along with a massive environmental impact – more throwaway products, excess packaging waste and increased deliveries. Black Friday does nothing but unapologetically compound both the cost-of-living crisis and the climate crisis – and don’t let retailers tell you otherwise. Black Friday has become the poster boy for consumerism – a model that perfectly blends the interests of the economy and society to forge this convenience culture that is the foundation of modern living.

Consumerism is the bedrock of our economy. Not only reliant on how much we spend – the total value of retail sales in 2021 was £421bn – but also on how we earn. Retail employs more people than any other sector in the UK, including health, education or manufacturing. And COVID exposed just how dependent our economy is on consumption. “Go out and shop with confidence” said ex-PM Boris Johnson as restrictions were lifted. A “spend, spend, spend” mantra disguised as paternal words of warm encouragement.

There is a growing counter-movement to Black Friday such as Buy Nothing Day and Green Friday – both of which offer solutions and respite.

It is easy to get caught up with FOMO for Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Megatron Tuesday deals. Propaganda is hard to ignore if you can’t escape it. If temptation creeps in, ask yourself, do I need it? Can I afford it? If the answer is no, don’t buy it. Remember, it's not a saving if you weren't going to buy it anyway.