The Christmas season is fast approaching and this usually means increasing sales for product-based companies. However, this also means that the number of returns and items ending up in landfill is increasing. And that employees are overwhelmed with the additional workload. Find out how you can maintain a healthy state for people and our planet - without jeopardizing your bottom line.

The biggest shopping days of the year

For decades, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have caused chaos in the form of crazy mobs fighting over discounted items, exhausted employees and excessive consumer behavior.

According to Comscore, consumers spent 9.81 billion dollars on Cyber Monday in 2020 in the USA alone - an increase of 24% compared to 2019. In Europe, online sales rose by 86% on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In Germany, online sales rose by 50% on Black Friday alone and by 16% on Cyber Monday.

However, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are no longer just one-day sales. For several years now, stores have been competing to get in on the action earlier and for longer, for example with Amazon's "Cyber Monday Deals Week". And last year, due to the pandemic, retailers encouraged their customers to shop even earlier to avoid logistical delays and crowds in stores.

A study conducted by Integral Ad Science (IAS) among 526 internet users across Europe concluded that 59% of people even made purchases before November last year.

The dark side of the Christmas season

While the potential for higher sales is encouraging, the damage of excessive consumer behavior is immense. Not only to our own health and well-being, but also to our environment.

As if that wasn't enough, shopping for others, especially for items like clothing, is risky. And retailers know that the Christmas period comes with increased returns. 

NRF reported that 13.3% of merchandise sold in the U.S. - approximately $101 billion - was returned during the 2020 holiday shopping season. Returns not only mean a loss of time and money, but also an increase in discarded items.

"88% of consumers think that returns go straight back on the shelf and are sold on to the next person. But in reality, the majority of returned items can't be sold as new," says Ann Starodaj, head of sustainability at Optoro, a returns processing technology company. The company says that landfill waste from returns alone contributes 15 million tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

In a world where increasing sales are unintentionally harming our planet, it's your job as a store owner to help your target audience make a conscious decision that leads to fewer returns and more satisfaction and loyalty. Help your products find a good, permanent home!

Protect our planet and secure your profit

If you can't compete with the giants who have huge advertising budgets, Cyber Monday might not give you much of an advantage. And since you value green hosting from Raidboxes, you're probably taking further steps to protect our planet anyway.

So before you jump on the price-squeezing holiday sales bandwagon, I suggest you take a step back and consider where you and your brand align with the idea of over-consumption during the holidays. Ask yourself, "Is participating in Cyber Monday on-brand?"

There are only three answers to this question: yes, no and maybe.

Example: If you regularly offer discounts, can compete with the big online retailers and sell FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), Cyber Monday is probably a definite yes for you. In this case, you could still do your bit for the planet and optimize your return policy, product descriptions, etc. Such measures will help your customers make a conscious decision to keep their products.

If you answered no or maybe, it is advisable not to stay in the 'eco bubble' and ignore these main shopping days because of your ethical values. While this is respectable, it won't help you become a leader for change. Let alone sell your products. It will only hurt you in the long run - and no one wants that.

In this case, you have an incredible opportunity to turn that question around and ask yourself, "How can I participate without doing more harm?" Whether you want to participate in these sales days or not, the following tips will help you and our planet.

The key to success: communication

Communication is the most important thing in any relationship. You and your customers are in a relationship. And if you communicate honestly, with integrity and authenticity, your customers will trust you and be happy to support you. If you haven't already, please read my last article on ethical marketing to get an idea of how to communicate in a fair way.

If you don't want to participate in Cyber Monday with a discount, just say so. Communicate honestly that your products are handmade and the price you paid for the materials was higher this year and therefore you can't offer a discount. Show your customers the true value of your high-quality products: for example, in a video in which you show your clean supply chain from A-Z or the people who made them.

As a fan of Raidboxes, you care about our environment. That's why I invite you to find creative ways to raise awareness about overconsumption that align with your company's values and offering. 

Here are some examples of conscious consumption to inspire you:

• On Black Friday 2015, outdoor apparel company Recreational Equipment, Inc (REI) launched the #OptOutside campaign to boycott shopping and spend time outdoors instead. Since then, REI has closed its stores every Black Friday, does not process online orders and gives its employees the day off. More than 150 companies followed REI's lead and hundreds of US states and national parks opened their gates for free to invite visitors to get outdoors with their loved ones.

• Vegan fashion brand Angela Roi is boycotting Black Friday for the second year in a row, encouraging customers to instead donate any amount over $1 to @FeedingAmerica or a charity of their choice in exchange for 20% off their next purchase.

• Everlane, a sustainable fashion brand in the USA, also launched the "Black Friday Fund" in 2013 to combine customer purchases with donations to various charitable organizations worldwide.

• London-based retailer Public Fibre's Buy More Rubbish campaign sold the top 10 ocean polluters on Black Friday last year and donated to The Ocean Cleanup - a non-profit organization based in Rotterdam that aims to clean up 90% of the ocean with advanced technology.

• Starting this Black Friday, GiffGaff and LADbible are inviting you to search for old cell phones with Check Your Drawers. You will receive a reward for every cell phone you send in.

• Instead of slashing prices, Allbirds (a certified B-Corp for sustainable shoes) raised all prices by $1 on Black Friday last year and donated the money to Fridays for Future. In 2019, the company closed all stores and offered free workshops to customers to educate them about sustainable consumption.

In these examples, working together to raise awareness is not only necessary, but also creative and fun. So if you want to be a brand for the common good, take inspiration from these ideas and think about how your brand can spread its message.

Optimize your customers' shopping experience

Many customers prefer online shopping because it is so convenient. Especially for Christmas shopping, the internet is a better place than a shopping center with hundreds of stressed people getting in each other's way.

To make online shopping a positive experience, your store needs to be secure, user-friendly, simple, fast and clear. To run a smooth and successful online store, it is important to understand why people return products.

This increases trust and reduces bounce rates and returns:

• Write honest and accurate product descriptions. Read your customers' feedback to get even more insights. If your products are sold on other platforms, check there too. For more transparency, you can add a text section such as "this product is not suitable for you if".

• Design accurate body size charts. How many times have we stumbled across the question of the right clothing size when shopping online? I've lost count. You can look at previous returns to see if there's a trend of a particular item being too small or too big and report this in your product description if it doesn't match your charts.

• Train your sales and support team. In our society, we are taught to sell, sell, sell and buy, buy, buy - no matter what. This is one of the main reasons why our planet is in crisis! If you teach your teams that they only sell something if the person in question benefits from it, you will gain trust and satisfied, long-term customers.

• Implement a follow-up procedure that goes beyond the "please leave a review" request via email. For more expensive items, call your customers to not only build a relationship with them, but also to get important feedback on how the product works and how you can improve it.

• Add a Q&A section to your products. Amazon offers this feature where customers can ask questions that are not answered in the product description. The best product descriptions are the ones that leave no questions unanswered. But you only know what you know. So this gives you the opportunity to find out what customers want. If you have the resources, offer a chat option for quick questions. Even if it's just over the holidays.

• Invest in returns management software. Tools for simple returns management will help you if you spend too much time on returns, which you would be better off spending on looking after your customers.

Be a role model and shop consciously

Basically, you are not only a store owner, but also a consumer. And I hope a person who cares about our future. Here are some tips that will help you with your shopping:

• Support ethical brands. Choose brands that have a clean supply chain and support the same cause as the loved ones you're gifting. Use the hashtag #ShopEthicalInstead, created by Ethical Hour.

• Give the gift of experiences. Creating memories strengthens relationships and makes us happy. Material things? Not so much. Studies show that material goods only make us temporarily happy, supposedly only a whopping 20 seconds after receiving the item. That's good news for travel agencies and the entertainment industry (concerts, musicals, plays, etc.), but not so much for product-based businesses. If you want to try something different this year, give the gift of an experience and let the recipient buy their own things they need. I almost guarantee your experiences will never be returned. 

• Make your own gifts. A classic fail for some, but a real gift from the heart for others.

• Give the gift of knowledge. Is there something your loved one would like to learn? Find a course or buy a gift voucher for Udemy or Masterclass. Or even better: find an expert in the respective field and support them directly.

• Give something back. This solution may not be an option for everyone and we may not all have the means to fund a wildlife organization for our loved ones, but in reality, any amount of money for a good cause is so much better than a new knick-knack that will only gather dust.

• Spread awareness. If you take part in a campaign like #OptOutside or #ShopEthicalInstead, share it on your social channels to inform those around you. Every new adapter is a step in the right direction towards a healthier way of shopping.

You have the opportunity to make the holidays what they should be about: Relationships and love. I wish you a wonderful and peaceful holiday season.