We're not opposed to shopping--how could we be? We make our living based on the shopping habits of our customers. All of our charitable initiatives are tied directly to shopping, since the money raised comes directly out of our sales. However, mindless consumption will be the end of us all. We are living in a time when over-consumption is actually contributing to the death and destruction of the world around us. It's also destroying our culture and the whole concept of personal style.

What we consume--everything we buy, wear, eat, read, watch, and listen to--amounts to a record of who we are as a society at a given time. How will we feel about our culture when we look back on this era? Will we be proud of the massive consumption? The abbreviated attention spans? The elevation of financial success above all else? While we're not trying to say people shouldn't consume anything, we are saying the current cycle of endless consumption isn't healthy. We may all be acting like there's nothing wrong with it, but the fact is plain: we are drowning in stuff.

When did the stuff become more important than the things that inspire the stuff? When did the band's t-shirt become more important than seeing the band live? When did looking like a skateboarder become more important than putting in the work to actually be good on a skateboard? We could go on, but you get the point.

As a tiny rebellion against the mindless (and, lately, dangerous) shopping that's encouraged on Black Friday, NOAH will be closed. We know it won't make any real difference today, but feel it's important to make the point. Change takes time, and if our little statement affects even one person, it'll be worth it.