Hamburg, 2025-11-26. With Black Friday just around the corner, the world is caught in the grip of a shopping fever. As people get ready to go clothes shopping, new surveys confirm that most consider sustainability important. Textiles made with sustainably produced cotton will also be available on Black Friday under, for example, the label “Cotton made in Africa®”.
Every year, EU citizens buy an average of 26 kilograms of textiles per capita.[1] Clothing is one of the most popular categories on Black Friday.[2] For the majority of consumers, sustainability has become a factor in purchasing decisions[3]; half go so far as to refuse to buy products that are not sustainable, according to a survey.[4]
“The Black Friday shopping phenomenon does not have to be in conflict with sustainability,” says Tina Stridde, the managing director of the Aid by Trade Foundation, explaining, “After all, sustainably produced clothing—bearing the ‘Cotton made in Africa’ label, for instance—can be found at Black Friday prices these days as well.”
Of all textiles purchased online, 44 percent are made from sustainable materials.[5] In addition to protecting water, soil, and the climate, the sustainability standard Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) places great emphasis on social principles in cotton cultivation. In practice, this means that women are empowered, human rights are respected, child labour is excluded, and smallholder communities in Africa receive support.
Checking to see if there is a CmiA seal on the tag can make it easier to decide whether to snap up a great deal—and make shopping more sustainable. Beyond ensuring a better future for our planet, sustainable textiles elevate wardrobes and bring joy long after Black Friday is over. Every single piece of sustainable clothing is a step in the right direction for the textile industry.
The sustainability transformation will succeed if companies and consumers commit to making a difference together. “Black Friday can be a catalyst for this change if we see it as an opportunity to pursue social working conditions, a transparent supply chain, an intact environment, and wise resource management,” says Tina Stridde, concluding, “Every purchase counts.”
Press contact
Christina Ben Bella, e-mail: Christina.Benbella@abt-foundation.org
Holger Diedrich, e-mail: Holger.Diedrich@abt-foundation.org
Aid by Trade Foundation | Gurlittstraße 14 | 20099 Hamburg | Germany
About the Aid by Trade Foundation
Founded in 2005 by the entrepreneur Prof. Dr Michael Otto, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is now an internationally renowned non-profit organisation that works throughout the world to promote sustainable raw materials. Its activities make a decisive and measurable contribution to improving the living conditions of people and animals while protecting the environment. As the challenges facing textile companies and small-scale farmers grow, the standards have a major role to play in ensuring their resilience and future viability. AbTF collaborates closely with industry experts and with specialists in animal protection and nature conservation. More information at: www.aidbytrade.org
About Cotton made in Africa
Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) is an internationally recognised standard for sustainably produced cotton. The largest such standard in Africa, it enables transparent traceability from cotton bale to textile. It is 100 percent GMO-free and maintains a clear focus on protecting human rights as well as biodiversity, soil, and water. More than 30 percent of African cotton is verified under CmiA or CmiA Organic. Over 60 textile companies and fashion brands—from Bestseller to OTTO—use CmiA cotton, enabling around 800,000 small-scale farmers to practise ecologically and economically resilient agriculture, to improve their families’ living standards, and to protect our planet’s ecosystems. In addition, CmiA invests in rural communities through projects in the areas of education, environmental protection, health, and women’s empowerment. CmiA is one of four sustainability standards under the umbrella of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), a Hamburg-based foundation established by Prof. Dr Michael Otto. Learn more at: cottonmadeinafrica.org
[1] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2023-0176_DE.html
[2] https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/consumers-are-rewriting-rules-year-end-sales
[3] https://www.idealo.de/dam/jcr:984ecb4d-dbc4-4e24-b526-436ad327b859/idealo_Black-Friday-2025-Umfrage_Whitepaper.pdf Survey in Germany
[4] https://www.idealo.de/dam/jcr:984ecb4d-dbc4-4e24-b526-436ad327b859/idealo_Black-Friday-2025-Umfrage_Whitepaper.pdf Survey in Germany
[5] https://www.dhl.com/content/dam/dhl/local/global/dhl-ecommerce/documents/pdf/g0-dhl-e-commerce-trends-report-2025.pdf