Hen’s Teeth, the city centre Dublin shop have announced they will buck the trend when it comes to Black Friday – by using it as an opportunity to support fellow businesses.

An American import that unfortunately seems to be gaining ground abroad, Black Friday has become synonymous with videos and images of hordes of shoppers hungrily descending on apparent bargains, pushing, shoving and fighting with anyone who dares get in their way. Images of crushed shoppers pushed up against supermarket doors has rightly been likened to plagues of zombies from Dawn Of The Dead.

In an attempt to rail against the cynicism of Irish stores jumping on the bandwagon, a Dublin shop has come up with an idea which more so benefits fellow retailers rather than themselves.

Running from November 23 until December 24, Hen’s Teeth will launch a special discount entitled ‘For A Better City’. If a customer has spent €25 or more in a neighbouring independent store, in areas such as Fade Street, Drury Street, Wicklow Street and the George’s Street block, they will be given a 10% discount.

Describing their decision, Rosie Gogan-Keogh & Greg Spring, owners of the store, said: “Black Friday is a relatively new phenomenon in Ireland – but the reality is that small businesses can’t keep up with the surplus stock that many larger companies release especially for Black Friday at such discounted prices”.

Hen’s Teeth were the stockists for artist Brian Teeling’s range of merchandise to support Gay Switchboard. Brian also recently released new fan wear for gay football fans with his Gay Bohs t-shirt, inspired by the LGBT+ fans of Bohemian Football Club with all proceeds going to BeLonG To, the national organisation supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex young people, and the Bohemian Foundation – which is intent on improving the health and well-being of its North Dublin community.