Avoid the screen time, lineups and frenzied shopping of Black Friday by spending the day on the water instead.
That’s what folding kayak manufacturer TRAK Kayaks is encouraging everyone to do as part of a November initiative turning Black Friday into #BlueFriday by connecting customers with the water.
“On this Black Friday we invite you to turn black to blue. Stop the madness, break free and enjoy being on, in or near water,” says TRAK Kayaks founder Nolin Veillard.
TRAK Kayaks will be closing their online store on Friday, November 29th, and giving their global team and paddlers the day to go out and enjoy nature on or near their local waterways. The company hopes this will kickstart a year of focus and action to make a difference in each individual’s mental health and to encourage protection and conservation of the waterways we share, it said in a statement.
Black Friday is one of the most popular shopping days of the year in North America. Last year American shoppers spent $6.22 billion in online sales in a 24-hour period, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracks transactions for 80 of the top 100 online retailers in the U.S.
“We are taking a stand against mass consumerism, which has led to overuse of plastic, which ends up in our oceans and landfills,” adds Veillard. “This mass clutter also affects our mental state. We believe we need to return to our roots, and that reconnecting with water is a conduit to vitality. On #BlueFriday, we encourage people to spend time around water. Go for a paddle, walk along a beach or a river, have a bath, or just find a place to swim or soak in nature.”
TRAK Kayaks manufacturers the TRAK 2.0, a versatile, durable, 16-foot portable touring kayak that goes from bag to boat in just 10 minutes. Made of durable military-grade polyurethane, it can be carried on planes, trains and automobiles in one compact travel bag.
On top of improving one’s own wellness, management at TRAK Kayaks believes #BlueFriday will help keep people connected to water, with the hopes they become waterkeepers—people who will care for and be stewards of waterways.
TRAK isn’t the only outdoor adventure focused company hoping to use this busy shopping day to inspire change. Since 2015, REI’s #OptOutside campaign has closed brick-and-motar stores and online stores each Black Friday. Instead, the company pays their 12,000+ employees to spend the day outside. More than 1.4 million people and 170 organizations chose to #OptOutside in 2018.
This year’s Black Friday falls on November 29—choose #BlueFriday instead.
