Why We Don't Have a BLACK FRIDAY Sale

Ever since I started "doing clothes," I've been a BF anti-fan. Every year we have the same problem, but it's never a dilemma. We get a lot of questions about discounts for this occasion and we always answer the same: we don't discount current collections. Why?  Because—to put it simply—we can't afford it. Neither can our planet, but that's a separate topic. I hope that after reading this to the end, you'll think that certain things are worth paying 100% of the price.

How does a small, independent, local fashion brand differ from a chain that manufactures its products in Asia or Africa? Well, in a whole host of important ways, which I'll discuss below, but above all, in production costs and the margins at which it sells.

The brutal truth is that you can't have it all: handcrafted underwear made of 100% merino wool, hand-sewn in a small sewing workshop, and a 50% discount on BF. Want an extra 20% off the 40% discount? Sure, but don't expect a human to answer your email asking about size, especially one who invented the brand and oversees most company processes. It's more likely to be an artificially intelligent bot.

They won't remember your name, and they won't know you already have the iconic COPENHAGEN bodysuit from the first collection, or the Astra from last year. They won't suggest you grab a Narvik top in size M because you're tall (which they already knows from a previous conversation), and you won't gossip about where the snow just fell. We can afford this approach because we treat it as part of our job and an investment in our relationships with our clients, who are like friends to us. By the way, we always have a 10% discount for #clientsandfriends—just sign up for our newsletter. But we can't afford to have sales during the peak season. This is also because LOTS only has ONE season a year. We specialize in warm underwear, and that's what makes us money. Demand for it ends in April, with Spring. This is the only time we earn for the entire year and reinvest in raw materials for the next season.

We don't produce thousands of items per size (though we'd probably like to have that kind of scale someday ;-), and we don't have huge stockpiles that we have to get rid of before the holidays. We make what we know you'll definitely buy. And we struggle more with keeping up with production than with sales. This is a conscious policy that ensures we don't feel guilty about cluttering the world with unnecessary clothing. It allows for better quality control and the feeling that what we offer to the market has passed through someone else's (specifically, our) hands.

Our small-scale operation has enormous advantages, as it gives us a sense of agency and influence over exactly what we do and how we do it. We see the value in this and believe that we're giving you not just another well-tailored garment, but also a feeling of being cared for. Thanks to the wool that will keep you warm this winter and the very personal approach we strive to maintain in our communication with you. We wouldn't be able to do it any other way. Every time we receive another order in our online store, we're thrilled to know that someone has bought something they need and that will improve their quality of life. Something they've long dreamed of, something they've been saving up for, or something they've spied on a delighted friend and envied their comfort.

As the ad says, "There are things you can't buy on Black Friday; for everything else, you can pay with Mastercard."

On a side note: did you know that the name "Black Friday" was coined by Philadelphia police officers, who associated November sales with the city's worst brawls of the year? Traffic jams and crowds rushing for post-Thanksgiving sales in the 1960s terrified law enforcement officers at the mere thought of the last Friday in November. Over time, the term has acquired a less negative connotation, though it still evokes associations with a shopping frenzy. We succumb to it because during this period, we're bombarded with ads for 30%, 40%, and 60% off. And it seems like a bargain that won't come around again. We often take advantage of it, even though we don't actually need a new vacuum cleaner. The old one still works. What's more, if we buy a new one, it has to be disposed of, creating yet another electrical waste. Whoever hasn't been tempted at least once by a much-needed hairdryer because it was on sale, cast a stone? Meanwhile, in one study conducted in Ireland, 45% of respondents admitted to making an unplanned purchase during a sale that they later regretted. Therefore, returns on BF products range from 20-30%, with the highest rates for clothing and electronics. Especially for small brands, having to cover the cost of delivery (which the seller is obligated to refund to the buyer in the event of a return) is a significant burden, further reducing the aforementioned margin.

That's why this week we're especially encouraging you to shop thoughtfully – buy what you really need and what you won't want to return. Don't get carried away; not every opportunity is worth taking advantage of, and rarely is it the last. Even our " last pieces " sometimes go back into production :) and reappear in our offer.