Give Back Friday is an alternative to Black Friday focused on donating instead of/as well as discounting. This alternative is a great option for brands looking share a strong values-led message with shoppers and incentivise sales with impact.
The Problem with Black Friday
Black Friday is the bussiest season in retail. Firstly from a revenue perspective, this is the time when a lot of businesses will significantly boost their annual sales and acquire new customers. The Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend has long been associated with people buying gifts for Christmas and catching up on personal purchases.
In recent years, there has been an interesting alternative to Black Friday growing in popularity known as Give Back Friday. This is an opportunity for businesses to take Black Friday and shift gears towards making a positive impact.
What is Give Back Friday?
Give Back Friday is an opportunity for businesses to Give Back. Instead of heavy discounting, businesses can take that portion of revenue and donate it to a cause that they care about.
Note: For businesses looking to give back to an environmental cause. Check out our post on Green Friday.
Why Take Part in Give Back Friday?
In recent years we have seen growing trends in consumer values guiding purchasing decisions. Customers are opting to align with brands based on their company values versus shopping based on price and product alone.
This means that Give Back Friday is a great opportunity for businesses to showcase their company brand values to potential customers. A survey conducted by Deloitte found that 55% of customers said they would be more likely to shop at a retailer that supports charitable causes they care about.
Aligning with Give Back Friday as a brand is a great opportunity to show your philanthropic side.
Examples of Brands that Take Part in Give Back Friday
Morecoco
During Black Friday in 2022 the brand morecoco donated all profits to the homeless charity Shelter..
Sonder Bikes
Sonder Bikes is a regular supporter of Alpkit Foundation. An social organisation helping to bring those in need outdoors to experience the wonder of nature.
Paynter Jacket
Helped provide 22,00 meals for people in need by supporting FareShare and engaging customers in an alternative BFCM brand message.
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Pala Eyewear
Gave, and very generously, from every pair of sunglasses sold.
Great Causes to Support for Give Back Friday
There are a ton of great charities and initiatives that you can support. Here are a few recommendations:
Movember - changing the face of men's health
MindOut - a LGBTQ+ mental health charity aiming to improve wellbeing in the community
Mary's Meals - helping to feed children in developing countries
Rainforest Foundation - help train communities to protect and defend their rainforest homes
Support Dogs - providing trained support dogs to people and children with various disabilities
Crisis - helping to solve homeless
Looking at Give Back Friday as an alternative to BFCM for your eCommerce store?
There are a few steps for taking part in a Give Back Friday Campaign.
Step 1 - Choose a cause
Find a cause that aligns both with your company values as well as the personal values of your target customers. There are over 40,000 charities and causes to choose from on Virtue.
Step 2 - Choose how you want to give
There are a number of ways to give back. While the most common way to give back is to give a percentage of every sale. Some brands will choose to dedicate an item to different causes.
Step 3 - Start Giving
With Virtue, you can start giving back from your retail store in just a few minutes. Check out our e-commerce Integrations and set up your giving campaign for Give Back Friday.
