shop,” Krideras told Inside Retail. Green Friday was developed by Krideras and Stephen Kulmar, co-founders of recently-launched rental platform ReleaseIt. They believe it’s much more than a sales event, calling it a “movement” of mindful shopping.  The platform will launch with 30-40 brands including Australia’s largest ecostore Flora & Fauna, The World’s Biggest Garage Sale, Frank Green, Glamcorner and the duo’s own ReleaseIt. November has become an influential month in the retail calendar with sales events such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Singles Day and Click Frenzy all in quick succession. And according to a recent survey by Finder, 46 per cent of Australians plan on taking advantage of the deals on offer.  But in recent years, many brands with a focus on sustainable and ethical practices have distanced themselves from these events due to the high levels of overconsumption. Krideras is hopeful that by providing a platform that connects consumers to ethical and sustainable options, they can think about the impact excessive consumption has on the environment.  ”We’re asking people to take a breath; have a think about why you’re shopping,” he said.  The website homepage is filled with harrowing statistics on Australia’s waste problem to remind customers about the impact of their purchases.  Flora & Fauna gets behind Green Friday The platform allows users to browse brands under a number of different categories including sustainable fashion, eco-friendly cosmetics, recycled accessories and green home products, all of which will offer curated specials or initiatives.  Users can then click the brand’s logo to be taken directly to their website to make a purchase.   “It’s a great opportunity to highlight conscious and considered shopping during the biggest shopping weekend of the year,” Flora & Fauna creative director Julie Mathers said.  “There are so many smart choices customers can make over that time whether it be plastic-free, locally made, reusable, refillable, organic etc.”  Flora & Fauna will take 50 per cent off many of its skincare, makeup, and home products, and will donate $1 from every order placed on Friday 26th to plant trees with Greenfleet to help regenerate Australian native forests. Krideras said all brands are vetted and must be sustainable, ethical across all areas of the supply chain, and where they have waste they offset their carbon emissions. Change of direction Having spent most of his professional life in retail and many years in the US, Kridersas took an interest in the Black Friday and Cyber Monday phenomenon which prompted him to launch Click Frenzy.  “Back then, the term circular economy wasn’t in the public domain,” he said.  “As the original founder [of Click Frenzy], my focus was really on the retailer side of the equation, and how we could do more for them. That’s probably the irony of my professional journey, and I own that, but we grow and we evolve.”  Nine years later, Krideras is no longer involved in the Click Frenzy business and has delved deep into changing consumer behaviour.  He is exploring the rise of Gen Y, Z and Alpha, which he says will outnumber previous generations by 2024. “We are experiencing a generational shift that’s going to redefine all retail. Sales are up, retail is down, [there’s] huge profits on the ASX, here comes the busiest sales time of the year. But our research shows us that there is a new and emerging demographic,” he said.  “They’re passionate about the environment, they’re socially aware, they’re tech savvy, and they’re looking for experiences.”  Future of Green Friday The duo are aiming to grow the event to be even bigger next year by continuing to bring more brands onboard.  “We set a target of launching with 22 brands. We’ve probably got another 15 to 20 brands to process and there’s another 65 brands we’ve been in touch with on top of that,” he said.  “We’re keeping it small this year, but next year we will have a full program, [which could mean] more events and more education.”