People's Vote Open Black Friday Brexit Store

It's Black Friday. A time when we throw financial caution to the economic wind and make the effort to buy things we've always wanted for a bargain price.

Or, more often, lay out for things we probably don't need and might never use but, hey, it's 50% off so, you know, it'd be a crime not to, right?

Above: The Costupper store in Peckham.

It's a wonderful time of year when the only thing on most people's minds are deals, savings and reductions. But not in the London district of Peckham, where anti-Brexit campaign group People's Vote have opened a special Brexit Minimart to coincide with the annual sales fest.

"The shop goes against the grain of what the rest of the world is shouting about this weekend."

Costupper, as the Black Friday store is called, is located at 93 Peckham High Street and is home to the worst deals in Europe. The shop, which is open for the weekend only, was constructed by award winning production designer Olly Williams, and was the brainchild of People's Vote in-house creative department, their marketing director, Sarah Baumann and creative advisor, Daniel Fisher.

Baumann is the former deputy CEO of Leo Burnett, while Fisher is the creative behind the similarly subversive Harvey Nichols Christmas campaign, Sorry I Spent It Myself, which he wrote when he was deputy ECD of adam&eveDDB.

Among the products on offer at the 'inconvenience store' are almost familiar brand names such as Price-Up Krispies, Tomato Botchup and Conman's Mustard, whilst in the fridge are fresh items such as Brexit Porky Pies and special non-EU edition Chlorinated Chicken and Beefed Up Beef. With Christmas just around the corner, customers can also pick up boxes Brexit Christmas Crackers (with a nasty surprise in every one) and family boxes of Commiserations Chocolates. 

As in every good local store, there's a cash machine, only this one tells you how rapidly your balance is diminishing, as well as a news section where customers can stock up on familiar-ish titles such as The Hard Times and Fell the Heat.

 "The timing of the Deal announcement was a gift we couldn't ignore."

If it all sounds as bit too much to stomach, there is a pharmacy section, but due to shortages this is mostly empty, so disgruntled customers may have to console themselves by booking a last minute escape through the Not-so-easyjet brochure on display in the travel section.

The Costupper launch comes as new analysis by People’s Vote shows inflation caused by ongoing uncertainty over Brexit has already seen prices in shops go up by almost six per cent since the referendum – costing the average household £546 more per year. "In recent years, Black Friday has become part of the country's run up to Christmas ritual, so it seemed ripe for disruption," said Baumann. "The timing of the Deal announcement was a gift we couldn't ignore."

"There's a lot of noise about Brexit at the moment and we wanted to find a way to cut through it all," added Fisher. "The shop goes against the grain of what the rest of the world is shouting about this weekend, so hopefully it will do that in spades.  It will make people smile, but behind it all is a serious message."