Tis the season to be jolly everyone. Finally the public is winning something against global corporations who are trying to entice you to spend your precious money by putting up gigantic sale bonanzas because they’re in the red this year. Adbusters must be proud.

It should be a good time to reflect that gifts aren’t the most important thing during the holiday season but to appreciate the precious time with our loved ones. Though this may sound like Hallmark card moment, but think of it: why are you spending so much for the holiday season? Don’t give into the Mad Men mantras of the “gift of giving,” but rather spend the day inside with your family and friends. Play games, do some crafts.

Yes, it is very difficult to curb our spendings and there wouldn’t be a market or economy if people didn’t spend. However, this global recession just shows how shoppers exude no loyalty to most popular brands. Shoppers will show no loyalty to the trends of fashion when the economy and jobs are at stake. Instead, they will flock to stores that will sell the cheapest and chicest. It should bring into question as to: where is your brand loyalty? Can you really distinctively say that one brand will always deliver quality goods, service and satisfaction every time you shop there? I believe most designers and brands have lost this kind of loyalty with their clients, that the bottom line isn’t customer satisfaction but rather how high is their pile of money at the end of the day.

Brands who wish to expand on a national and international level can no longer simply rely on customer loyalty, they must meet financial goals if they are to stay in the game. However, any negative economical impact will affect the brands’ reputation, whether it’s to launch a new line or a new store, everything boils down to money. I think that if brands are able to keep loyalty (much like avid Apple followers), keep realistic goals to achieve despite economic turmoil, and work in improving their business plan, the money will follow.

Loss of jobs and closing stores are part of the terrible process of large corporation who want to cut their losses. Instead of focusing on re-strategizing their approach to customers, most will “re-strategize” by axing their staff and putting more pressure and responsibilities on remaining members. Small businesses should take note in keeping their staff size manageable with bright individuals who have a uniting vision in pushing the brand forward, not merely trucking along blindly and do as they’re told. I myself am not loyal to any particular brand, nor have experienced any superior service from one store to another. It’s quite sad actually.

So this recession shouldn’t just curb your spending, but you should be curbing your spending on clothing at all times. Make smart choices. Even if it wasn’t the recession, act as if it is, thus you would really save more money in the long run by picking styles that you really love and want.

This whole recession-fearing attitude is very much leaning in favor of the upcoming “Buy Nothing Day” established by Adbusters. Though I had questioned why should we only refrain from spending on one day (when we should be doing that always), I do think refraining ourselves from the biggest holiday sale in North America could prove to have quite an impact, especially this year.

Buy Nothing Day lands Nov.28th for North American, and Nov. 29th for the rest of the world.

Image credit: oldnyls.livejournal.com/

So how does “Buy Nothing Day” work? If you’ve never heard of this unofficial holiday, it’s probably because you’re too concerned in figuring out what to get for Uncle Larry, worrying about that huge family reunion, and wondering if you should have enough food to splurge for turkey, stuffings, corn, ham and pineapples. Wait, what was I talking about again?

Buy Nothing Day is a concept created by Canadian social activist magazine AdBusters. Aware since 1992 that the world is consuming too many resources for its own good, they’ve decided to launch a sort of awareness day that you should buy nothing on the day after Thanksgiving (US). This is because after Thanksgiving, it is the biggest shopping holidays of the season until Christmas. And what could be more encouraging than this year when the Canadian Dollar is on par with US dollar? Americans haven’t adjusted any kind of inflation and it’s mighty tempting to go over the border to get you some cheap goodies.

Well Adbuster’s aim is to counter all of the greed shoppers inhibit during the holiday season. There have been manifestations all over the world on Buy Nothing Day, people standing in the streets with self-made posters, banners and stunts to stop shoppers from buying anything (or at least educate them). In Montreal’s case, in 2005 there was an attempt of a coup to an American Apparel shop downtown to show how the business is exploiting women in their ads. However, the plan was thwarted when a mole had infiltrated into the group and alerted American Apparel of the plan.

Of course, though the concept seems simple enough to not buy anything a particular day, it doesn’t really stop people from buying anything from the other 364 days out of the year. Especially where fashion is concerned, we are propelled to consume our goods. There needs to be a more sound concept where everyone could bind together and help causes instead of hinder businesses. Like, “Donate Your Clothes Day” or “Help The Shelters Day”, or something that could help others. When you do nothing, you do nothing. How is this going to help the world to stop consuming?