Do you ‘do’ Black Friday? It’s a bit of a controversial topic here in Australia, hey?! On the one hand, it’s a uniquely American invention in that it falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving – i.e., when everyone is ‘officially’ allowed to get excited about Christmas. But on the other hand, for us non-Americans, it’s hard to resist a massive sale right when you’re starting to think about Christmas shopping.
Year after year, more and more businesses get in on the Black Friday action – which is a big win for shoppers, but can be a big loss for the planet. See, Black Friday is all about overconsumption: it encourages shoppers to buy more than they need by offering far too tempting discounts, leading to unnecessary purchases and, ultimately, excessive waste. Never mind the environmental costs of the shipping, packaging and energy used to get your extra orders to you.
Don’t worry – this doesn’t mean you need to forego Black Friday and Cyber Monday all together.
It’s still an amazing way to save money on your Christmas shopping and end-of-year must-haves, and should be treated as such. In fact, online shopping (when done in moderation) can promise a significantly smaller carbon footprint than shopping in bricks and mortar stores, but only when you are doing all of your research online rather than driving from store to store and aren’t making frequent returns.
But while we love the convenience and variety of online shopping, there’s something about that in-store experience that’s tough to beat. Maybe it’s because we’re so spoiled for choice?! Check out our current fave spots worth checking out as you do your Christmas shopping (Black Friday or not!).
FOR THE MUMS
- LJC Designs in California Lane (Fortitude Valley, Brisbane) // Check it out
- Elka Collective on James Street* (Fortitude Valley, Brisbane) // Check it out
- Mister Zimi (Brisbane to Byron Bay) // Check it out
- One Teaspoon (Byron Bay) // Check it out
- Spell & the Gypsy Collective (Byron Bay) // Check it out
FOR THE DADS
- Parliament Skate (Brisbane CBD) // Check it out
- Scotch & Soda (Brisbane + Gold Coast) // Check it out
- Mr Simple (Gold Coast + Byron Bay) // Check it out
- Calexico Man (Fortitude Valley, Brisbane) (ladies, don’t miss the original Calexico while you’re there!) // Check it out
- Afends (Byron Bay) // Check it out
FOR THE TWEENS + TEENS
- Glassons (Brisbane + Gold Coast) // Check it out
- Decjuba (Brisbane + Gold Coast) // Check it out
- Pavement (Brisbane + Gold Coast) // Check it out
- Seed Heritage (Brisbane + Gold Coast) // Check it out
- Ghanda Clothing (Brisbane + Gold Coast) // Check it out
FOR THE KIDS
- Children of the Tribe (Byron Bay) // Check it out
- Little Maisy Boutique (Palm Beach, Gold Coast) // Check it out
- Little Auguste (Byron Bay, inside the Auguste store) // Check it out
- Duck Duck Goose (Ascot, Brisbane) // Check it out
- The Lane & Co (Lawnton, Brisbane) // Check it out
FOR THE BUBS
- Sparrow (Sanctuary Cove, Gold Coast) // Check it out
- The Common Thread (Bulimba, Brisbane) // Check it out
- My First Room (Bulimba, Brisbane) // Check it out
- Little Kisses (Fortitude Valley, Brisbane) // Check it out
- Little Loves Studio (Tugun, Gold Coast) // Check it out
FOR YOUR HOME
- Heartfill (Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast) // Check it out
- Halo & Grace (Labrador, Gold Coast) // Check it out
- The Village Markets (Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast) // Check it out
- Victor Scot (Various locations, Brisbane) // Check it out
- Pampa (Byron Bay) // Check it out
Looking for more local shopping inspiration? Look no further than our 2020 Mobimag! It’s packed full of local shopping destinations and gift ideas for everyone on your list. Click here to give it a read.
