‘Black Friday’ didn’t start as a shopping holiday at all. The term was used for the very first time in September 1869, referring to a market crash due to plummeting gold prices, the effects of which were felt in the United States for years.

The first reference of ‘Black Friday’ as the day after Thanksgiving originates from 1960s Philadelphia, when police officers used it to describe the post-Thanksgiving gridlock created by shoppers flooding into the city ahead of the Army vs. Navy football game. Local retailers hated how negative it sounded and even tried (unsuccessfully) to rebrand it as ‘Big Friday.’ By the late 1970s, national retailers reinvented the term with a more cheerful myth: that Black Friday was the moment in the year they went from ‘in the red’ to ‘in the black.’: becoming profitable. A smart marketing spin.

Today, the cheerful version has stuck, but the real history tells a much more honest story: Black Friday was literally born out of chaos, congestion, and consumer overwhelm. In many ways, not much has changed.

While the world has upgraded from 1960s traffic jams to 2020s instant checkouts and next-day delivery, the underlying story hasn’t changed much: overwhelming pressure to buy, produce, ship, and throw away at record speed.

But here’s the hopeful twist. Every year, more brands decide that they don’t want to be part of the frenzy. Instead, they’re using the day to push for circularity, responsibility, and a healthier relationship with consumption. These are the changemakers, the companies proving that Black Friday can be something other than a 24-hour sprint toward more stuff.

Patagonia stays loyal to its long-time refusal to participate in the Black Friday circus. Instead of dangling discounts, the brand redirects profits to grassroots environmental organisations working on climate, land protection, and community resilience. In a world of markdown mania, Patagonia doubles down on its “earth is our only shareholder” philosophy, and means it.

A full decade of telling shoppers to go outside instead of going shopping. Outdoor equipment retailer REI once again closes all stores, halts online sales, and pays its thousands of employees to spend the day outdoors. Their message is refreshingly simple: the outdoors is worth more than doorbusters. Can we get a hallelujah?

Freitag, the Swiss maker of endlessly durable truck-tarp bags, transforms Black Friday into a worldwide swap festival. Customers bring old bags to exchange for someone else’s pre-loved treasure. Circularity in its most joyful, communal form.

Veja turns Black Friday into ‘Repair Friday,’ offering free repairs not only for their own sneakers but for any damaged clothing or accessories. That’s right: any brand! Their goal is to make repair culture the default, not the exception, and show that the most sustainable item is the one you already own.

ASKET, the Swedish champion of ‘forever pieces,’ temporarily disables all purchases on its website. Instead, the brand shifts every customer interaction toward garment care, repair tutorials, and spare parts. This way Black Friday becomes a day to extend the life of what exists, not to add more to the pile.

Ecoalf is a Spanish sustainable fashion brand that creates clothing and accessories from recycled materials like plastic bottles, discarded fishing nets, and recycled rubber. On Black Friday, they don’t offer discounts but clarity. Their campaign highlights the hidden social and environmental costs behind aggressive discounts, reminding shoppers that ‘cheap’ often means someone else, somewhere else, is paying the real price.

DECIEM, the parent company behind The Ordinary and NIOD,  pushes back against the beauty industry’s high-gloss urgency with a gentler approach: a modest discount stretched across the entire month, known as Slowvember. DECIEM also shuts down all online transactions on Black Friday itself, encouraging people to pause rather than panic-buy.

Home decor brand The Citizenry flips the entire day on its head by donating all Black Friday profits to programs supporting girls’ education worldwide. Instead of funneling money into overconsumption, the brand funnels it into long-term empowerment. Arguably the most sustainable investment there is.

9. Dille & Kamille - Full ‘Green Friday’ closure

The beloved Dutch home and garden chain goes dark for the day: all stores closed, all webshops offline and all attention on the planet. Teams spend the day on environmental cleanups, community volunteering, and activities to reconnect with nature.

10. Mud Jeans - Closing the webshop and circular denim focus

Mud Jeans embraces pure circularity by closing its webshop for the day and spotlighting its repair, lease, and recycling system. Customers are guided toward vintage pairs and refurbished denim rather than new stock.

All these initiatives don’t reject commerce but the excess that Black Friday has come to symbolise. They show that it’s possible for brands to participate in the economy without accelerating the environmental and social costs often hidden behind a day of discounts.

Black Friday isn’t disappearing any time soon (unfortunately). But if this movement continues to grow, the day may eventually shift from a global rush to acquire more, toward a moment to rethink our habits. And perhaps even to repair some of the damage left in the wake of our own consumption.

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