What is Black Friday sale and 10 ways you can shop sustainably

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard of Black Friday (no, not the movie). Other than the AMAZING sales it brings, read on to know what is the origin story of the Black Friday sale and how you can shop sustaniably this weekend. 

THE ORIGIN: Black Friday is the day that comes after Thanksgiving and always falls on a Friday... hence, Black Friday. The day began to be associated with Thanksgiving sometime in the mid-20th century. It was coined by the Philadelphia police, who reportedly used the term Black Friday due to the large number of people shopping in the city and the subsequent traffic.

Originally, the Black Friday sale marked the commencment of holiday shopping in the US but after its spread, the sale now attracts shoppers from across the world regardless of whether they celebrate Christmas or not.

Due to the large number of orders and rush retailers receive on this day, they have begun to push for 'Black Thursday'. This means that the Black Friday sale can begin as early as 7 pm on Thanksgiving Thursday. Even though the busiest time to shop in India is during the festival season (Diwali, Holi, Navratri), the introduction of online shopping has made the Black Friday sale much more popular and is now usually the time when people buy winter attire in India. 

Me: I'm not even gonna look at the Black Friday offers this yearAlso me: pic.twitter.com/kUFtZTVHfu

— BEAUTY BAY (@beautybay) November 24, 2021

But while you're planning on making the most of the Black Friday sale, here are 10 TIPS ON SHOPPING SUSTAINBLY:

1. Make sure you make a thorough list so that you don't end up impulse buying

2. If you plan on buying tech gadgets, look for energy-efficient gadgets

3. If you're intending to shop online, try to book a single order from each store so as to reduce the usage of packaging material

4. Try buying from sustainable stores instead of fast-fashion brands

5. Plan and divide items on your list to each store so that you accidentaly don't end up buying the same item twice

6. Get together with some friends and try to combine your shipments which means that only one person orders from one store for everyone and ends up with one transaction, one shipment, and one bill, instead of various different shipments

7. Bring your own bags when you go down to the stores 

8. Only buy what you absolutely need instead of buying multiple options to choose from 

9. Try carpooling with people you know or take public transport

10. If you are planning on replacing a gadget or appliance in your house, then try to recycle or donate the old appliance

Have a good shopping weekend!