INSTEAD of taking the usual approach to Black Friday flash sales, an ethical online retailer which has its base in the North East has announced its ‘Food Bank Friday’ initiative in partnership with a local charity.
A feel good alternative to Black Friday, Ethical Superstore is offering shoppers the chance to make a real difference by pledging to donate items to Newcastle Foodbank for every order over £30 from Tuesday 21 November until midnight on Tuesday 28 November.
Located in Gateshead but with a UK-wide presence, the site is known for its extensive range of ethical alternatives to household and grocery products. 2017 will mark the third year of the successful campaign which has seen over 3,700 items worth £4,000 donated to date.
Newcastle Foodbank in the city’s West End is the largest in the UK, serving in excess of 1,000 people a week – 500 of which are children – and distributing half of £1m a year.
For orders exceeding £30, Ethical Superstore will donate goods that have been specifically chosen by the food bank, including essentials such as pasta, sauces, toilet paper and soap. As an additional incentive, 20% discount will be available off everything for a limited time only, between the selected dates.
The annual Black Friday campaign in aid of the food bank is on top of a number of organisations the ethical retailer actively supports all year round. This year alone, nearly £40,000 has been raised through customer checkout donations for various causes including Medecins Sans Frontières, Amnesty International, RSPCA, DEC, Whale & Dolphin Conservation and Trees For Life.
Peter Leatherland, online sales manager at Ethical Superstore, said: “Over the last two years, our Black Friday donation scheme has been a huge success and generated a lot of goodwill, benefitting people who depend on the food bank in the lead up to Christmas.
“Amongst the Black Friday chaos, which has recently received negative publicity, we wanted to flip the message on its head to highlight you can give back whilst you hunt for bargains.
“It’s really rewarding to be able to make this significant contribution to those who truly need it and we hope our campaign helps to drive awareness of emergency food assistance charities throughout the country and how we can all come together to relieve the daily pressures on less fortunate families.”
Michael Nixon, Newcastle West End Foodbank manager, said: “The busiest shopping weekend of the year is almost upon us and it’s easy to forget the year-long struggles so many of us are going through. The West End of Newcastle is one of the worst areas in the region affected by poverty so we always encourage and welcome any form of support.
“As the temperature drops during the winter months, more people than ever are under intense financial pressure and with the likes of increased heating bills to consider combined with Universal Credit delays, demand on food banks grows as they turn to local providers to get by and feed their children.
“It’s fantastic that the team at Ethical Superstore has chosen to partner with us again in recognition of our valuable efforts in the community. It is this Geordie generosity and help from local businesses as well as our volunteers that we rely on to keep doing what we do.”
EthicalSuperstore.com has become an essential resource for Britain’s growing number of ethically and environmentally aware consumers.
Now in its eleventh year of trading, the site allows consumers to buy Fairtrade, organic and eco-friendly merchandise and currently features over 5,000 products.
For more information on the Black Friday offer please visit www.ethicalsuperstore.com/giving-on-black-friday-rather-than-taking/