Allbirds‘ Black Friday Sale will look a bit different this year.
The New Zealand-American footwear company announced on Monday that it will be raising its prices for the annual discount event in support of the fight against climate change.
On Nov. 27, all prices across the brand’s collection will increase by $1, and will be matched by a $1 donation from Allbirds. The company said proceeds from the price jump will go directly to Fridays for Future, the international climate strike movement that was founded by young activist Greta Thunberg in 2018.
The price of the classic Women’s Tree Runners will be marked up from $95 to $96 and the brand’s TrinoXO Tee will sell for $48 instead of $49 on Allbirds.com.
The decision to raise prices on a day that many retailers designate for significant markdowns — a trend bolstered this year by the coronavirus pandemic, which has pressured fashion retail balance sheets and caused firms to emphasize deeper discounts — comes as Allbirds doubles down on goals to reduce its carbon impact and protect the earth’s resources. Allbirds non-traditional Black Friday sale aligns with the company’s long-standing commitment to sustainability. Since its debut in 2014, the goal of Allbirds has been to emphasize eco-consciousness.
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The Silicon Valley label makes its socks and shoes out of eco-friendly materials such as wool and eucalyptus trees. In 2019, the company took things a step further and imposed a carbon tax on itself to become completely carbon neutral. It also measures the environmental impact of its business and supply chains using the life-cycle assessments technique.
Last month, Allbirds expanded into apparel, introducing four pieces: the TrinoXO Tee, the Wool Jumper, the Wool Cardigan, which retails for $145, and the $250 Trino Puffer. The brand used materials such as naturally-derived fiber from discarded marine shells and blends of ZQ-certified New Zealand merino wool as well as Tencel.
