Entertainment

Shoppers encouraged to ignore Black Friday and mark Buy Nothing Day instead

Are you embracing the deals or giving the shopping a rest for a day?
Are you embracing the deals or giving the shopping a rest for a day? Are you embracing the deals or giving the shopping a rest for a day?

If the bargain-hunting and consumerism of Black Friday is bringing you down, you’re not alone.

A counter-movement is in full swing in the shape of Buy Nothing Day which, as the name suggests, encourages people to eschew the deals and put their wallets and purses away.

For some, then, it was a day to take a stand and make precisely zero purchases.

If Buy Nothing Day seems like a very recent thing, you may be surprised to hear it has stood opposed to Black Friday on the same day in the calendar since 1997.

Started originally by Canadian artist Ted Dave some years before that, it was subsequently moved in deliberate opposition to Black Friday and has been championed by Vancouver-based collective Adbusters.

It and others use the day to encourage people to think beyond the prices of the bargains they might be getting on Black Friday.

Elsewhere, Twitter users were encouraging people to engage in other activities instead of shopping, like going for a nice walk in the country…

…or heading to the local library.

Some shops even closed to make it that bit easier for people to buy nothing.

Meanwhile, others embraced the day as Indie Friday, an occasion to support local independent stores.

So whether you buy everything, buy nothing or buy local – Friday is the day for you.