Media Overview

DON’T SHOP. JUST SWAP.

 Please mention the photo credits (see caption)

FREITAG S.W.A.P. - The new online anti-shop

S.W.A.P. is the Tinder-style exchange platform for all FREITAG bag owners who are ready for a fresh tarp-based love with another bag and want to pass on their old one-off with a minimum of hassle.

For 25 years, FREITAG has been thinking and acting in cycles and giving disused truck tarps a new life as unique bags that are so robust and durable there’s no need to buy another one right away. But what if your affections disintegrate faster than the tarpaulin and the bag is still willing but you no longer are? If, as a result of irreconcilable differences, your old one-off ends up forever at the bottom of your closet and has to make way for a new one, it gets kind of difficult to talk about sustainability and conscious consumption.

Well, in cases like these, FREITAG can now offer a solution that is also emotionally sustainable. On our online S.W.A.P. (Shopping Without Any Payment) bag exchange platform all FREITAG bag owners can now get rid of their old one-off bag hassle-free with a clear conscience and exchange it for one that’s new - at least for them - without spending any money.

To help you find your new favorite from the wealth of unique bags available online, we’ve taken a good look at the Tinder quick dating app: simply upload a photo of your own bag on S.W.A.P. to get pictures of everyone else’s unique models. Swipe to the left to get rid of bags you don’t like and to the right for the ones you want. And when it ends in a match, i.e. two people liking each other’s bags, you can get down to the handover negotiations. FREITAG leaves the details as to how, where and whether the swap actually takes place entirely up to the guys involved. The bag makers are happy if the match leads to the creation of two new, sustainable bag relationships and wish everyone a never-ending bag swap craze.

For direct access to the swap shop: www.freitag.ch/swap

MOVING IMAGES

For downloading right-click on animated gifs:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 Please mention the photo credits (see caption)

26.11.2021 BLACK FREITAG: 100 % OFF

S.W.A.P. TILL YOU DROP

On Black Friday, FREITAG is closing its online store and encouraging people to beat the buying hysteria by going into swap mode. We’ll also be joining forces with like-minded brands to add even more weight to our commitment to sustainable and meaningful consumption.

Since its first bag, which was made in 1993 from a tough old truck tarp, FREITAG has focused on long-lasting products and refuses to submit to the short-lived seasonal approach of the fashion industry. So it's no wonder that the circular-supporting bag manufacturers never really warmed to the consumerist excesses of Black Friday either. 
 
As in the past, we'll be closing our online store on this day and redirecting all visitors to the  freitag.ch website straight to our bag exchange platform S.W.A.P. (Shopping Without Any Payment). Using the Tinder principle, FREITAG owners can swap their long-lived, one-of-a-kind items with each other, cutting out the drama and eliminating costs and waste.
 
And because we find bag swapping more sustainable than shopping madness and community better than consumption, we've been on the lookout for like-minded brands. Together with them, we’d like to use this day to make a plea for sensible consumption instead of mindless wastefulness.

 

BLACK FRIDAY: YES, WE'RE ALL NAYSAYERS

There are plenty of good reasons for not being part of Black Friday. With all its over the top discount hysteria, it's a day that helps very few and harms a lot more - be it in social, ecological or economic terms. We've no desire to support this kind of frenzied consumerism, either as producers or personally as consumers.

And on this day, that's precisely why we – a handful of like-minded brands – are not just saying no, but standing together. We'll be fielding various initiatives and constructive actions for fair and sustainable ways of doing business and consuming, including:

  • The bag makers at FREITAG are closing their online store and getting people to swap bags instead.
  • flamingos life, known for their vegan sneakers, are likewise closing their online store for the day.
  • The soapmakers at Soeder are calling on their customers to refill without waste. 
  • Secrid, the cardprotector inventors, are offering their customers a free repair service.
  • The sustainable surf and yoga clothing pros, Oy, are also closing their online store and calling for donations instead. 
  • The folding bike pioneer Brompton is offering a free bike hire in the UK to encourage riding instead of spending.

Thanks for saying no and spreading the word.

MOVING IMAGE

For downloading right-click on animated gif: