Counterbalancing Black Friday

With the holidays coming up, Black Friday sales are once more being thrown at us from all sides. The temptation to act on them is great, but it is by no means sustainable. Three AUAS experts comment on our inclination to consume and how to guard against it.

According to AMFI director and Fashion Design & Identity professor José Teunissen, it is quite logical for the fashion industry to make use of this inclination. ‘Fashion is all about change. With a new trend, you are in fashion and the old trend loses its sheen. With the advent of the Internet and ultra-fast fashion, there are now new items for sale every day at low prices and these are driving the urge to buy,’ José observes.

But why is this so attractive? ‘People are susceptible to the temptation of being fashionable or wanting to belong to the group of people they feel part of. The fashion industry makes use of this. In addition, there is the psychological aspect. We buy clothes to feel good and to feel that we look better. Ultra-fast fashion, with its influencers on social media, seamlessly plays into that.’

Temporary discounts and smart algorithms

Anne Moes, who researches media and consumer behaviour, sees how companies are doing everything they can to win over consumers online. ‘Think of temporary discounts offered complete with countdowns, smart algorithms that show personalised ads on your feed, and product placement in films: all of these campaigns spur us on to buy more. It is almost impossible to prevent such “tricks” from influencing your behaviour.’ There are really no foolproof tips to guard against this marketing avalanche, but according to Anne there are some techniques if you do want to make a conscious effort to consume less. ‘For example, the scientific literature suggests that an “if-then rule” can help people get a better grip on their behaviour. You can set the following rule for yourself: If I scroll through my social media while travelling on the train, then I will not click on ads. In addition, of course, you can consciously surround yourself with people who set a good example and buy little on principle.’

Eco emotions

There are more and more such people, as awareness of the devastating impact of fast fashion is also growing among consumers. It’s an industry that exploits people in order to produce quickly and cheaply, and where large amounts of discarded clothing produce waste.

Marian Zandbergen researches these so-called eco emotions. ‘In periods such as Black Friday, one can feel helpless or hopeless when seeing so much incitement to consume. This may sound intense, but it’s an accumulation of everything we experience in response to a growing awareness of the consequences of our way of life.’

Creating positive change

Eco emotions can paralyse us, but they can also have a positive effect, as Marian explains. ‘They can also spur us to action and positive change. For example, a student I recently spoke said: “In my circles, it’s now frowned upon to order from Shein or Alibaba. We buy more second-hand things, swap things or make them ourselves. This feels much better, plus I really enjoy doing it.”’

According to Marian, far more people than we think see things this way. ‘They are intrinsically motivated to make choices that are not only good for themselves, but also for their environment and “the planet”. When we live in a way that intrinsically makes us feel good, we often - without realising it - influence those around us. This is how all of us influence the norm.’ AMFI students are also increasingly applying these eco-emotional principles to their collections. David Dienaar, for example, graduated in 2024 with a collection of coats made from couch leather. He convincingly sold his eco approach with a video of him riding his bike to cut the leather out of couches he finds on the street at night to turn them into coats.

A new mindset

What makes specifically fast fashion so irresistible? “It's all about psychological triggers,” explains Sjoukje Goldman, associate professor of sustainable marketing. “We want to belong, improve ourselves and feel that we look good. Big retail companies are cleverly capitalizing on this with marketing techniques.”

“Social media amplifies this effect. Fast fashion apps use techniques such as rewards, discounts, and even games to stimulate buying urges. Younger generations are very sensitive to this. But behind the scenes is a dark side: child labour, low wages and environmental damage make the low prices possible.”

The solution, according to Goldman, lies in a combination of awareness and regulation. “Consumers need to understand how temptation techniques work and the impact on their buying behaviour. At the same time, the government needs to provide stricter regulations to force companies to be transparent and honest.” Something that is already happening to some extent, but may not be happening fast enough.

“Ultimately, a new mindset — buying less and investing in more sustainable alternatives — can help break the vicious cycle of fast fashion. The question is: Are we willing to take back control of what and how we consume?”