Twitter Buying Trends: Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Holiday shopping is increasingly being influenced by social media platforms like Twitter, this is particularly true of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. As indicated in a 2013 poll, those who use Twitter spend more and use the portal as a strategy resource that informs their buying decisions.

According to a DB5 survey of 1,000 US adults 7 out of 10 of our users will rely on Twitter to enhance their Black Friday and Cyber Monday experiences. A total of 85 percent of Twitter users shop on Black Friday and 81 percent shop on Cyber Monday. Unsurprisingly, Twitter uses are bigger online shoppers than non-Twitter users. While 54 percent of all adults plan to shop on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday days, that number jumps to 68 percent among Twitter users.

A Green Christmas and a Sustainable State of Mind

The holiday season is here and many of us are making more responsible choices, however, while personal actions are critical, this time of year is also a wonderful opportunity to green our consciousnesses. While we all must strive to reduce our energy consumption and eliminate the waste we produce, there is a psychological dimension to environmental stewardship that may not be so obvious.

People who are interested in being more environmentally and socially responsible do a host of things at Christmas time and throughout the year. 

Decorations

When it comes to decorations, they use natural materials like organic cotton and sustainable wood. They avoid plastic containing PVC and toxic chemicals like phthalates, as well as decorations that contain lead and mercury.

Video - Unsustainable Christmas Statistics and How to Make Christmas Greener

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Electronic Receipts are Convenient and Save Trees

Electronic Receipts are Convenient and Save Trees

Instead of printing out a paper receipt, many stores you now give you the option of sending your receipt by email instead. This is both convenient for consumers and it saves a precious resource. Around ten million trees are cut down each year to make receipts in the US. Trees both provide oxygen and sequester CO2. 

In addition to being better for the environment it also is a great way to organize your records. They can be kept in a separate folder for future reference. This is ideal in the event that you need to return an item or for filing tax returns.

Green Market Oracle's Gift Guide: A Summary of More Responsible Gifts

Are you someone with a green conscience looking for a last minute gift idea? Look no further than the Green Market Oracle's summary of green gift ideas that are sure to please everyone on your holiday list. These gifts are not only more environmentally responsible they also communicate something about your own ecological attitudes.

Here is a quick review of 18 gift recommendations as well as a dozen catalogs each full of green gift ideas.

Event - Halton Halton Environmental Network (HEN) Holiday Social & Enviro Guide Release

Halton Environmental Network (HEN) Holiday Social and 2014 Enviro Guide Release will take place on Thursday December 12, 2013, at Queen Elizabeth Park Community & Cultural Centre in Oakville Ontario. The gathering will start at 5 pm in the multi-purpose room, C-094, near the front entrance. It's also the launch of HEN's 10th anniversary year! They will be sharing some holiday enviro tips and doing a re-gift exchange! Bring a new unwanted gift you've received, leave it on our table, and take one you want. (Participation is optional.) They will donate any leftover gifts to a local charity. If you haven't seen their new office yet, they will be happy to take you on a tour. All are welcome. Light refreshments provided.

Green Tuesday: The Best of Thanksgiving Consumerism Strives to be Both Sustainable and Profitable

In 2011 Green America launched Green Tuesday to promote sustainable products and services during the period of rampant holiday consumerism. Green Tuesday is celebrated on the Tuesday after the Thanksgiving weekend, it is designed to inspire consumers to make "thoughtful, purposeful, eco-minded choices." Green Tuesday has a lot of competition from other sustainability initiatives including those associated with Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. The day is also being claimed by another event called "Giving Tuesday," which encourages Americans to donate to charity.

Video - Small Business Saturday Contributes to Sustainability

Small Business Saturday has been around for three years and in that time people are increasingly seeing the value of shopping at mom and pops instead of the big boxes. As explained in a Treehugger article,

"[T]he best tool for greening our lives is Urbanity- building communities that you can get around in without a car. Where you can get what you need within walking or biking distance. That's where small businesses come in to play. They are local, they support the community, and they make our main streets come alive."

Waste is an Unfortunate Thanksgiving Tradition

The holiday season represents a high point for retailers and a low point for the environment. There are two major things we can do to help minimize our impacts. The first is to be more mindful of purchasing behaviors and second is to do a better job of managing our waste. Waste is one of the biggest problems associated with the holidays. Waste is highly detrimental to the environment and according to the EPA, 32 million tons of plastic waste are generated yearly, 14 million tons of which are used in packaging. During the period from Thanksgiving to the New Year, Americans generate 25 percent more waste than average. This includes

Black Friday Purchasing Behaviors: Shopping Locally and Learning from the Great Recession of 2008

What can the environmentally conscious consumer do to be a more responsible shopper? One obvious thing we can do to help offset environmental impacts is to buy local. We may also benefit from reflecting on the implications of the economic meltdown of 2008. Black Friday is a fascinating conflagration of consumerism kicking off a spending frenzy worth more than $59 billion in 2012, which was up from $52.5 billion in 2011. To capitalize on this orgy of consumerism, retail outlets are opening earlier every year. This year many big box stores opened their doors on the Thursday prior to Black Friday. Just five years after the start of the Great Recession, consumers are battling each other in retail outlets to save a few dollars. This may be a good time of year to remember what happened in 2008 and why.

Silencing Scientists (NY Times Editorial)

This is a New York Times, Sunday Review, Opinion Pages, Editorial/Notebook piece by Verlyn Klinkenborg. It was published on September 21, 2013. 
_________________________________________________________ 

Over the last few years, the government of Canada — led by Stephen Harper — has made it harder and harder for publicly financed scientists to communicate with the public and with other scientists.

It began badly enough in 2008 when scientists working for Environment Canada, the federal agency, were told to refer all queries to departmental communications officers. Now the government is doing all it can to monitor and restrict the flow of scientific information, especially concerning research into climate change, fisheries and anything to do with the Alberta tar sands — source of the diluted bitumen that would flow through the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. Journalists find themselves unable to reach government scientists; the scientists themselves have organized public protests.

European Commissioner for Climate Action Urges Development Banks to Divest from Fossil Fuels

The European Union (EU) Commissioner for Climate Action has urged development banks to cease supporting fossil fuels and divest from related projects, plants and infrastructure.

Connie Hedegaard is the first ever EU Commissioner for Climate Action. Prior to 2010, She was an accomplished journalist and a distinguished politician. When she was elected to the Danish Parliament in 1984 she was the youngest person ever to be a Danish MP. In 2007 she was appointed the Danish Minister for the Environment where she set up the 2009 UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen. In 2008 she published Da klimaet blev hot, [When the climate got hot]. In addition to her work as a politician, journalist and author she is also a lecturer who has sat on a number of committees and boards.

Conservative Confusion about the Role of Government in Support of Green Jobs

According to traditional conservative doctrine, governments do not create jobs only free markets can do that. However, economists around the world contradict that facile and dated logic. Investment in green job creation is a short term strategy that helps green industries to grow. Helping green industries to achieve economies of scale reduces costs, enhances competitiveness and provides jobs. Government investments also drive innovation.

The jobs creation potential of the green economy is unparallelled and governments all around the world see the wisdom of helping to grow their tax base by supporting green industry. Green-collar jobs are high paying positions that benefit the environment while cutting pollution and reducing waste.

Carrotmob's Partnership with Unilever

Carrotmob is a social venture organization that harnesses the influence of consumers on sustainable consumption. Carrotmob organizes crowdsourced “buycotts,” in which consumers use their purchasing power to push businesses to be more sustainable. Now Carrotmob is joining forces with Unilever, one of the world’s largest consumer packaged goods companies.

Brent Schulkin, the founder of Carrotmob staged his first campaign in 2008, with a small liquor store in San Francisco that installed energy-efficient lighting. Most recently Carrotmob worked with Thanksgiving to develop a campaign to help finance wind powered transportation of coffee.

Incentivizing Consumer Engagement in Cause Campaigns (Webinar)

In today's economy, convincing people to part with an extra dollar or two on behalf of a worthy cause isn't as simple as it used to be. With budgets tightening and a renewed focus on value, many consumers want to know "what's in it for me?" before doling out their money or time. Join MSLGROUP's Anne Erhard as she discloses the keys to crafting successful cause marketing campaigns in this hour-long session focused on incentivizing consumer engagement.

The webinar will take place on October 24, 2012 from 1:30pm to 2:30pm ET.  The cost is $99 or FREE to Members. For more information or to register click here.

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All Indications Suggest a Banner Year for Cyber Monday Shopping

By all indications, Cyber Monday is likely to set records this year. Buying online is a greener form of consumption because it reduces the amount of fuel used to find, price and purchase an item. Online shopping is also a greener way to shop due to the fact that trucks can deliver goods more efficiently and it takes a lot less energy to run a warehouse for boxes of goods than a mall. Online shopping can be a more beneficial option for the planet particularly when it is paired with more responsible purchasing (ie: purchasing items with smaller footprints).

Patagonia Shows the Way with Responsible Business Leadership

Patagonia is an outdoor clothing company that is showing real leadership by asking consumers to think twice about whether they really need to buy a new jacket. They offer services to fix the jacket you have rather than buy a new one. They will even help you sell it without charge. If it is really beyond repair, they will recycle it.

Black Friday 2011 Saw a Big Year-Over-Year Spending Increase

Early reports indicate that the 2011 Black Friday spend saw a huge year-over-year increase. According to the data group ShopperTrak, retail sales on Black Friday grew 6.6 percent this year compared to just 0.3% in 2010, raking in an estimated $11.4 billion dollars compared to last year's $10.7 billion of annual sales. This is the most total sales in the history of Black Friday.

Retailers Incorrectly Expected Frugal Holiday Buying on Black Friday 2011

Frugal buying would make the holiday spend less than some had hoped for. But what is bad for retailers would have been beneficial for the Earth. Estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau indicated that US retail and food services sales for October were up 0.5 percent from the previous month (economists expected a 0.3 percent rise) and 7.2 percent above October 2010. Excluding gasoline, retail sales rose 0.7 percent.