Black Friday is a time of year that celebrates hyperconsumerism with marketing that pressures consumers, creating panic to act fast or miss out on big discounts. In 2016 we wrote about our hopes that a new trend was in the making, shifting the paradigm of Black Friday from decadent consumerism to one focused on doing good more in line with the spirit of the holiday.

For the third year, Deciem is taking back Black Friday by reimagining the traditional sales period and welcoming Slowvember, a journey into a new, gentle world after an isolated year. Slowvember is a month for the thinkers, researchers, and people who appreciate taking the time to pause and reflect before making a decision, and for everyone who knows that normal wasn't working.

This year, Deciem is welcoming back its 23% savings across all brands and products for the entire month and offering a human approach to discounting. Throughout Slowvember, consumers will be encouraged to partake in a month of soothing and relaxing experiences across brand channels and in-store, allowing them to slow down and take the time to make educated purchasing decisions, and alleviating the pressure of a small-windowed discount.

In previous years Deciem took a stand against hyperconsumerism by closing its doors on Black Friday. This year Deciem stores will remain open, but no products will be available to purchase in-store or online. During a time where human connection has been limited, November 26 will celebrate Take Back Black Friday, a day that offers time to focus on connections over transactions, encourages mindful moments that bring people together, and celebrates the beauty in slowing down. Deciem is working with local artists and companies to turn its global retail locations into places where shoppers can take a moment to relax where they can experience live music and local refreshments, and take part in artistic workshops.

“As a company that is working hard to ensure it's minimizing its impact on the earth, it seems counterproductive to take part in a day so heavily focused on overconsumption of things consumers simply do not need," said Jackie Kankam, Director of Sustainability and Social Impact at Deciem. "At Deciem, we are working towards minimizing the impact our products have on the earth, including looking at our packaging, water and energy use across our offices and supply chain Globally. Whilst we have started our journey, we are still not a sustainable company. Initiatives such as our Slowvember campaign encourage everyone to do better for a lasting planet.”

Despite talk of inflation, labor shortages, and supply-chain issues, The National Retail Federation said it expects holiday sales during November and December to rise between 8.5% and 10.5%, for a total of between $843.4 billion and $859 billion of sales. If their prediction is true, this would mark an all-time high for holiday sales growth and top last year's record.