Black Friday marks the traditional beginning of the Christmas shopping season. But Irish company, Madlug, is focused on people, not profits.
With Christmas just around the corner, many are eagerly anticipating the Black Friday sales. However, one Irish company is approaching Black Friday differently.
Find out how luggage maker Madlug is standing firm in the face of rampant consumerism and helping the local community in the process.
Madlug – making a difference
Prior to establishing Madlug in 2015, Dave Linton’s sole experience in the luggage industry was “bags of enthusiasm”. But upon learning that most children in care carry their belongings in plastic bin bags or shopping bags, he couldn’t sit idly by.
With just £480, Linton started Madlug – an abbreviation for ‘make a difference luggage’ – and adopted a ‘buy one, wear one, help one’ approach. This means that for every Madlug bag purchased, a pack-away travel bag goes to a child in care.
Linton furthered his incredible efforts in 2020 by establishing the Madlug Foundation. The registered charity pledges to give 100,000 pack-away travel bags by 2024 and also helps empower children in care through training schemes and entrepreneurial experience.
Black Friday with a difference – the Madlug model
The last Friday of November is Black Friday, a day that traditionally marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season with discounted prices for coveted items.
Black Friday and the commercialisation of Christmas have led to some ugly scenes of shoppers coming to blows over discounted items during this day of unbridled consumerism.
However, this year Madlug will do Black Friday differently.
Instead of offering discounts, Linton’s company will launch a new range of backpacks. The backpacks will be available in four colours – black, grey, mustard, and airforce blue – and each will bear a number – three, five, or ten.
These numbers correspond with the number of pack-away travel bags given to children in care.
Madlug’s Black Friday approach – “we’re committed to our values”
Madlug outlined its Black Friday approach in a blog post, citing five key reasons behind it. Primarily, the Madlug team wanted to stay true to its ethos.
“We’re driven by a strong sense of values,” reads the blog post. “We firmly believe in the value, worth and dignity of every child, which is why we’ve built our brand around a ‘buy one, give one’ initiative”.
Furthermore, the company remains steadfast in its commitment to quality: “We refuse to compromise on quality, even if it means missing out on short-term sales. Our goal is to provide you with products that last”.
This corresponds with a third reason: sustainability. The blog post continues, “The environmental toll of Black Friday is substantial. In 2020, Black Friday in the UK alone generated 429,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions”.
Moreover, Madlug stressed its desire not to put undue stress on its valued team or on shoppers who may “feel pressured into buying for the sake of it” in the face of the ongoing cost of living crisis.
If you want to support this incredible initiative, check out Maldug’s range of luggage here.