Black Friday has become one of the busiest shopping weeks of the year — flashing lights, countdown timers, huge discounts, and the kind of deals that only giant corporations can afford to run.
But behind all that noise, something really important gets lost: the small businesses who simply can’t compete with mega-retailer pricing… but offer so much more in return.
This year, I wanted to shine a little light on why choosing to shop small makes such a huge difference — especially during Black Friday.
🌿 1. Small businesses don’t have huge warehouses or unlimited stock
Brands like mine, run by one mum (hello 👋), don’t have the luxury of mass-producing thousands of items at a time.
Everything we make — from cloth nappies to changing bags and wet bags — is created in small batches or made-to-order, which means:
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We don’t hold tons of excess stock
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We don’t get big wholesale discounts
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We can’t slash prices by 60–80% just to “outdo” the competition
But what we can guarantee is quality, individuality, and products that actually come from a place of love, family, and creativity.
💚 2. Every order truly matters
When you shop at a big company, your purchase barely touches the sides. But when you shop small?
✨ A mum does a happy dance
✨ A small business pays its bills
✨ A child sees their parent succeed
✨ A dream continues
Green Cheeks started in 2020 with a toddler on my hip and a tiny stack of cloth nappies. Four years on, our range has expanded with my family — from wet bags and swim bags to insulated bottles and our best-selling changing bags.
Every order helps us continue creating colourful, joyful, useful products for real families.
🎁 3. You get something unique (not mass-produced)
One thing I’m really proud of is our exclusive prints — from Creeping It Real to Strawberry Fields to our seasonal designs.
You won’t find these patterns anywhere else. They’re designed with real UK family life in mind: messy, funny, colourful, chaotic, magical.
When you buy from a small brand, you're not buying another copy-paste product.
You’re buying something that was thought about, sketched, perfected, and made because it brings joy.
🛒 4. Shopping small keeps creativity alive
Big retailers follow trends.
Small businesses start them.
We take risks.
We listen to our customers.
We ask on Instagram what you want next.
We create products because you asked for them — not because a board meeting said it might sell well.
Supporting small businesses means supporting:
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creativity
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diversity
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warm customer service
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new ideas
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real stories
It's a vote for a more colourful, personal shopping world.
🎉 5. Yes, we DO have a Black Friday offer!
Even though we can’t offer 80% off like the giants, we do want to give you something special.
👉 This Black Friday: enjoy 25% off changing bags, cloth nappies and wet bags!
A thank you from me, to you — for supporting a small business during a time that’s dominated by big retailers.
✨ 6. You support a real family — not a CEO bonus
Behind Green Cheeks is:
A mum, a son who thinks the post office is our “second home,” a very colourful workspace, lots of tea, and a LOT of trial-and-error product testing.
Your orders help:
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Harrison go to swimming lessons
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fund new print designs
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keep our shop running
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support ethical makers
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allow a mum to keep building something meaningful
You’re not just buying a bag — you’re investing in someone’s dream.
💛 Thank you for choosing small this Black Friday
Whether it’s Green Cheeks or any other small brand you love, choosing to support independents this Black Friday changes lives.
If you do shop with us this week, please know this: I appreciate it more than you know.
Here’s to a colourful Christmas season — and to keeping small shops thriving.
Big love,
Lianne x
