Why Fedde&Kees does not participate in Black Friday

I have had dozens of questions about whether there will be another Black Friday promotion at Fedde&Kees. The answer is: no, I don't participate in Black Friday. I will tell you openly and honestly why.

It's not that I don't give parents a discount, but to be honest I really need the margins. With all the developments this year, Fedde&Kees' purchasing costs have increased enormously and we have chosen not to pass this on to our customers on a one-to-one basis. This does mean that less money comes in, while my fixed costs only increase. A Black Friday promotion would simply cost me too much money.

No impulse purchase

At Fedde&kees we want to prevent parents from making impulse purchases. It must be a well-considered choice that you really support. Our products have the most effect if you pay enough attention to them. There are many factors that influence your child's sleep and if you expect a miracle pill, disappointment will follow.

That is why I still spend so much time and energy on personal advice. My goal is really to help people and I can do that with the right quality fabrics, personal guidance and good service. Unfortunately, this comes at a price for a small business owner like me.

Green Friday?

You may not have noticed that Dille&Kamille closes its doors during Black Friday. A great initiative, which has received a lot of positive media attention and which I can appreciate myself. Because let's be honest: we consumers (yes, I am one myself) have quite high demands these days. We have become very spoiled. You just have to press a button and within a few minutes a delivery person will be at your door to deliver what you want. Is that realistic? Actually not.  

This also applies to ordering packages online and sending them back: it is extremely damaging to the environment and also costs a lot of money. The fact that large web shops offer this for free does not mean that it is also free. Packaging materials and transport services are simply not free and cause additional CO2 emissions. Let's avoid that if it is not really necessary.

Why should you participate in Black Friday??

Black Friday comes from America. It is the day after Thanksgiving, when most employees have the day off, so it is a tradition to go Christmas shopping. Retailers respond to this by offering special discounts. Over the years it became more and more intense and now we also participate in the Netherlands. But why? Most stores make a big loss and small entrepreneurs like me don't have the space for that. It is an unrealistic and unhealthy way of consuming that does not make the world a better place. On the contrary. At Fedde&Kees we try as much as possible sustainable choices and participating in Black Friday does not fit in with that.

Of course I understand that it is attractive to make your purchases this weekend. There's nothing wrong with that at all. I wish you a lot of shopping pleasure, but remember while shopping that these types of offers are not at all self-evident. Certainly not for small entrepreneurs.

Love,

Frederieke