What Is Blue Friday & Why Did Goldilocks Join?

You’ve heard of Black Friday, but have you heard of Blue Friday? 

Black Friday is arguably the biggest shopping day of the year. What started as a day of transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas in the American psyche, has become known for hysteria-inducing price-slashing and over consumption at its finest.

As the owner of a small eco-friendly business that hand makes products in Canada, Black Friday was always something that I struggled with. On one hand, the blind mass consumerism (and oftentimes coinciding waste) went against every reason why I founded Goldilocks in the first place. On the other, opting out of the biggest sales day of the year would make it even harder for the business to survive in the long run, meaning we might not be able to continue having a positive impact in the future.

Talk about a rock and a hard place. 

Luckily, I wasn’t alone. I’ve had many conversations with fellow business owners in Victoria, BC over the years who felt the same way. One of those people was Jeff Duke, founder of LL Supply. He approached us in 2019 with an alternative to Black Friday that aligned with our values - Blue Friday.

The idea behind Blue Friday was to gather a group of local businesses who were willing to donate a portion of their sales from traditional Black Friday to a specific ocean conservation project that would have a tangible impact. We were immediately on board! Goldilocks was founded after I went diving with sharks, after all. It was a great fit. 

“At Blue Friday we understand you can’t just stop buying things. “Black Friday” is as much about accessibility for some as it is about overconsumption for others. Our mission is to change the conversation and give people the ability to still shop and also make a positive impact.” 

- Jeff Duke, Blue Friday Founder

Over the years, Blue Friday has expanded from a local group to include businesses across North America who have collectively donated over $66,000 to Blue Friday initiatives. Goldilocks’ role has also changed from participant to co-coordinator of the now annual event. 

To learn more about this year’s project and how you can get involved, visit www.blue-friday.ca