The Nod has launched a nationwide campaign called Real Black Friday that encourages Canadians to support Black-owned businesses during the year’s biggest shopping season. The initiative began with an event in Edmonton featuring 32 Black-owned vendors. It will now move across the country through a 10-city tour.
The Nod is also promoting curated boxes of products and services through its app, which serves as a marketplace for verified Black-owned businesses. According to reporting from BetaKit, the organisation hopes the campaign will direct up to US$100 million in consumer spending toward Black entrepreneurs within four years. One percent of the revenue from these sales will go to the Nod Foundation, which funds programmes that help Black founders formalise and scale their businesses.
Real Black Friday reframes the traditional shopping moment. Instead of pushing large retailers, it highlights small businesses that often struggle for visibility and consistent customer traffic. The campaign encourages consumers to make intentional choices that keep more money circulating within Black communities.
Why This Shopping Season Looks Different
Black-owned businesses in Canada still face significant barriers such as funding gaps, low visibility and long-standing structural inequalities. By using Black Friday, a major retail moment that shapes national spending patterns, The Nod aims to shift purchasing power toward businesses that rarely benefit from that surge.
The marketplace model plays a major role in this shift. The Nod app gives small businesses digital storefronts, payments infrastructure and customer engagement tools that help them compete more effectively. A co-founder captured the motivation behind the initiative in a line reported by BetaKit: “How do we make sure that we’re spending intentionally, and we’re enabling economic growth within the community?”
At the same time, the campaign reflects a broader change in consumer behaviour. More Canadians are choosing to support local and underrepresented entrepreneurs rather than spending exclusively through large retail chains.
Who Gains From The National Push
Hundreds of Black-owned businesses stand to gain from stronger sales and national visibility. Canadian shoppers looking for ethical or community-focused options now have a clearer path to discover and support these businesses.
Non-profits, training programmes and support organisations connected to the Nod Foundation will also benefit as increased spending helps fund new resources for Black founders.
What Comes Next For The Campaign
The Nod will continue its 10-city tour through the holiday season. More curated product boxes will roll out on the app as new vendors join the marketplace.
The organisation plans to track spending totals and measure community impact as it works toward its four-year target.
