Black Friday is one of the biggest international sale days in the world - this year falling on Friday November 29. Although it originally an American tradition around Thanksgiving weekend, it's now one the most well-known events in the global sale calendar. It's the perfect time to get a head start on your Christmas shopping list.
On this day, some of Australia's favourite brands, biggest stores and even small cult favourites have joined in the Black Friday sales. Each year the list of Black Friday sales gets bigger and bigger. But there are a few things that you won't see involved in Black Friday. Regardless of how big this event gets, there are a few brands that you'll never see with a discount - ones to consider as an investment rather than an impulse buy. Here are some brands and pieces you'll never find on sale during Black Friday.
Luxury fashion
While many, and in fact most fashion brands will participate in Black Friday - you will not find any luxury fashion houses on this list. Luxury fashion is considered a timeless investment and as such does not follow the sale calendar. In fact, even if you favourite designer department stores participating in sales, you'll find that the high, luxury brands will be excluded from the list.
Brands like Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Breitling, Rolex and others put thousands of hours of craftsmanship into their pieces. It would be a false economy to discount this collector item.
Apple
If you were hoping to get a new iPhone or Apple Watch on sale this year, you'll be disappointed. Apple does not discount its products. You may see a 'free gift with purchase' offer or maybe 10 percent off on old models, but you will never see any sort of discount on newly released tech. Don't plan on getting an iPhone half off anytime soon.
Spell
Spell is a brand that has previously and publicly opted out of the Black Friday sales. As such, we don't expect to see this brand on sale anytime soon. The brand expressed that it only makes small batches of pieces they believe customers want regardless of a sale. It was a stance against the overproduction driven by the sale cycle.
Aēsop
We are yet to see a sale at this high-end beauty brand ever. It makes sense too. Aēsop products are so loved and so cult that it does not need to offer sales to entice people to buy. If Aēsop ever did have a sale, we'd be first in line. But for now, we're happy to pay what we need to for quality.
Some sustainable brands
While there are many theories around discounting and consumer behaviour - I personally think it allows people to more easily access quality, thus reducing waste long-term - many sustainable brands believe that sales drive overconsumption. So, many of the brands with the strongest ethics around sustainability will choose to opt out of the sale cycle.
Small, local designers
Small brands often produce limited quantities and are hand-crafted. As such, you won't find these brands on sale. Take a look at The Inspired Co.'s list of local designers, this is an example of the artisans that you won't see in Black Friday. Noble Label produces from dead stock fabric in limited quantities. These brand prioritise sustainability and quality over the sale cycle.
