Why “Sale Culture” Makes Everything More Expensive
I’m sure y’all know : Black Friday is around the corner followed by Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.
It’s the biggest Sales weekend of the year.
As a Small Business owner there is a lot of pressure to have a sale on these “key shopping dates” because customers expect it. And I can’t lame them - they’re accustomed to it.
But the reality is: A business who has every day honest + ethical prices can’t afford the loss that happens with a big sale (aka. loss in profits).
When a business can afford to slash their prices in half, or more, consider what this means. Consider profit margins. If they can afford to sell their products to you at such a low price during a sale this means that their profit margins are HIGH AF every day. From a business standpoint, this is a genius strategy.
However, from a consumer standpoint we have to wonder…
Why aren’t they giving me a fair market price *every day*?
As a small business owner I have strived to keep 3 things in balance:
Sourcing the highest quality + ethically sourced ingredients I can find (and paying a fair price for these).
Paying myself and my team above a living wage to empower our wellness so that we can practice what we preach.
Offering our customers an ethical price (what the product is truly worth) while covering the above 2 goals.
Speaking for small businesses, when we offer a 10% off sale to our customers we are giving you an incredible deal because of our already low profit margins.
On the flip side of that, I have to wonder how companies can afford to offer huge discounts on these “key shopping dates”.
Are their profit margins so high because they’re skimping on the quality of their product and sourcing unethical materials?
Are their profit margins so high because they’re not valuing their employees, paying a less-than-living wage?
Or are their profit margins so high because they’re jacking up their prices - just because they can - rather than offering their customers the lowest price possible while keeping their business thriving?
On the biggest sale weekend of the year I invite you to consider Profit Margins. I invite you to consider fair commerce, living wages, and the quality of ingredients/materials. I invite you to consider ALL that goes into that product you’re purchasing. And what it is actually worth.
I invite you to consider that even if a company isn’t offering a sale you’re actually getting a more honest deal - it’s a deal you can trust. Because it indicates that they are using ethical profit margins + offering you the lowest price they can every day.
We aren’t having a sale this weekend.
We simply can’t afford to have sales at every consumer holiday because our prices are based on true value .
However, we would so appreciate your purchase as we dream of a future in which daily generosity + honesty are at the center of business decisions. Your purchase is a vote for a more honest economy. A more honest world.
To support our work (while giving a nourishing gift to your loved ones, including yourself), visit our SHOP HERE . Everything in our shop is priced at what it’s worth (or lower) - not driven up to allow for big sales.
I want to give a shout out to all of the artisans, makers, and stewards of so many small businesses. When I see your dinky little "10-20% off sale!" I think to myself, "They must be doing business like we are. It's not getting anyone rich very quickly, but everybody is richer because of it."
In gratitude,
Marion Hearth, mama of Goddess Ghee + two children who will inherit the world we create.
