How to benefit from ‘Craft Friday’, France’s Black Friday for artisan workers

A French company is hosting a flash sale of events and workshops in France to offer unique experiences and compete with ‘Black Friday’ sales. 

Online platform Wecandoo, which sells experiences and workshops with artisan workers in France, will again launch its ‘Craft Friday’ sale at the end of this week. 

It will run parallel to Black Friday sales online and on the high street. An increasing number of stores in France participate in the event (that originated in the US) as a major pre-Christmas sale. 

Read more: When does Black Friday start in France and which shops participate?

Wecandoo’s ‘Craft Friday’ sale will see the cost of booking a class at a workshop on the platform reduced by 15% – impacting around 6,000 ateliers on the site – with Wecandoo also lowering service fees.

This sale will run from 18:00 on Thursday (November 28) to 23:59 on Friday (November 29).

It is the ninth year the platform has run the sale, which it previously called ‘Solidarity Friday’.

Read more: French atelier restores objects through ancient art of lacquer renovation

Thousands of unique workshops available

“A quarter of French people say they're ready to buy during Black Friday, yet this commercial phenomenon hardly benefits artisans,” said Edouard Eyglunent, co-founder of the online site to Le Figaro.

“They [artisans] are not very visible on the Internet, and they don't mass-produce, which puts them at a disadvantage,” he added. 

Wecandoo claims that during this Black Friday-adjacent sale, there is a 20-fold increase in business for artisans on its site. 

Workshops on the site are diverse, from soap, perfume, and candle-making, to bag upcycling, leatherwork, and creating your own box of chocolates. 

Metalwork and crafting sessions, such as for jewelry and knives, are also hosted on the site. 

There are also wine, beer, coffee and food-tasting workshops, where you can learn more about the production of certain goods and have a hand at making some of your own whilst there.

At the end of a session, you get to take home the item you created. 

Around half of all sales on the site during the Christmas period are gifts for other people, says Wecandoo. 

A survey by OpinionWay (referenced in Le Figaro) states 39% of French people prefer to offer an experience rather than a material present, with this number rising for younger generations.

“In addition to being more ecological, it's a gift with more soul than yet another object to be put in the back of a cupboard. We offer an experience rather than a product,” said Mr Eyglunent. 

You can find further information on the Wecandoo website, where you can also search for workshops by area to find one close to you. 

Read more: I now sell my art at local French markets