Swap Black Friday for Colour Friday 28th November
28th November 2025 marks the start of the UK’s Christmas shopping season. But this year, there’s an alternative to the usual Black Friday rush: Colour Friday.
While Black Friday promises massive discounts, over a million small businesses across the UK are facing uncertain futures. Imagine a Christmas without the colour, creativity, and community spirit these independents bring—our gifts, decorations, and high streets would be far duller.
Colour Friday, launched by Holly & Co in 2021, celebrates the vibrancy and originality of small businesses. It’s a day designed to champion the independents who fill our homes, high streets, and lives with meaning—offering an alternative to the mass consumption and discount culture of Black Friday.
Why Shop Small?
Supporting independent businesses isn’t just a nice gesture—it has a measurable impact on the local economy:
Spending £10 at a local shop can circulate up to £50 more locally than spending at a chain¹.
Small businesses employ 16.9 million people across the UK².
They contribute £2.18 trillion to the economy—about a quarter of GDP³.
In contrast, the UK is expected to spend £3.9 billion on Black Friday this year⁴, while many small businesses worry about survival⁵.
Over a third of consumers say they value small businesses for their creativity, originality, and care⁷.
81% of UK shoppers say they’d consider buying from small businesses this Christmas⁸.
Shopping small helps build a more vibrant, diverse economy that reflects the values and needs of the community.
How You Can Take Part
This Colour Friday (and beyond), there are many ways to support small businesses:
Buy at least one Christmas gift from an independent UK business.
Visit your local high street and shop in person.
Leave positive reviews for businesses with great products or services.
Share businesses you love on social media—even a like or kind comment helps.
Tell others about Colour Friday and why you’re backing it.
A Celebration of Creativity and Community
Holly & Co created Colour Friday in 2021 to give small businesses the spotlight they deserve. At a time when Black Friday promoted mass consumption and discounts, Colour Friday offered a different approach: a celebration of originality, imagination, and community spirit.
Five years on, Colour Friday has grown into a nationwide movement, proving that shopping with values doesn’t just mean buying better—it means building a more colourful, creative world together.
Make Colour Friday your first stop this Christmas and help support the small businesses that make the UK a brighter, more creative place.
