Patagonia to Donate 100 Percent of Black Friday Sales to Grassroots Environmental Groups

Just days before Black Friday, famous outdoor apparel company Patagonia is making a statement, announcing that the company will donate all of its Black Friday sales, whether from online or physical stores, to environmental groups.

According to a report from CNN Money, on Monday, Patagonia announced that its Black Friday sales will be given to environmental groups that aim to protect vital natural resources such as water, soil and air. Patagonia is reported to have 80 stores worldwide and runs its online retail store, Patagonia.com.

The move is not out of character for the company, but Lisa Pike Sheehy, Vice President of Environmental Activism at Patagonia, said that the recent announcement is affected by the result of the 2016 US elections.

"We definitely came up with the idea after the election. This is a difficult and divisive time for our country. I believe the environment is something we can all come together on. ... Environmental values are something we all embrace," said Sheehy.

"The threats facing our planet affect people of every political stripe, of every demographic, in every part of the country. We all stand to benefit from a healthy environment," wrote Rose Marcario, CEO of Patagonia, in a blog post.

Trehugger notes that this is not the first time that Patagonia has made a campaign towards the environment. In 2011, the company successfully conducted a campaign to urge customers to lessen wasteful consumerism by buying less. Three years later, during Black Friday 2014, Patagonia launched "Worn Wear Swap" where consumers could exchange their old clothes for new ones.

“This we know: If we don’t act boldly, severe changes in climate, water and air pollution, extinction of species and erosion of topsoil are certain outcomes. The threats facing our planet affect people of every political stripe, of every demographic, in every part of the country. We all stand to benefit from a healthy environment—and our children and grandchildren do, too," said Patagonia in a news release.