Key Takeaways
Black Friday built around safety
A Black Friday promotion in 2025 from Bowork, a safety specialist in the Netherlands (Europe), used discounts to draw attention to work shoes, winter workwear and emergency kits rather than to fast, disposable fashion.
Simple code, clear extra discount
The message centred on “extra kassakorting” at the checkout, with an extra 10% off through the code BF10 and higher savings on outlet items, running through Monday 1 December 2025, a date that has now passed.
Free extras with real daily value
Warm hats, work socks and leather care were added as free gifts to selected safety shoes, winter jackets and work boots from brands such as Solid Gear, Workman, Totectors, Sixton, Grisport and Redbrick.
Emergency kits as part of everyday gear
Small, medium and large emergency kits sat beside footwear and clothing in the promotion, linking personal protective equipment with broader readiness for unexpected situations at work, on the road or at home.
Story & Details
A Black Friday offer rooted in work life
In late November 2025, Black Friday banners appeared again across shops in the Netherlands (Europe). One of them, from Bowork, looked a little different. Instead of pushing televisions or fashion, it opened with a short Dutch line that catches the eye: “Black Friday extra kassakorting, 10% met code BF10”. The phrase plays with a very practical idea. “Kassakorting” means discount at the checkout. The message promises a strong price cut right where it matters: on the final total.
The promotion did not stop at the code. Bowork announced that the extra discount would run “up to and including Monday 1 December 2025”, stretching the Black Friday feeling across the long weekend. On top of the 10% code, outlet pieces received even deeper reductions. For people who depend on their work shoes and jackets every day, this created a clear signal: this is a good moment to replace worn gear without breaking the budget.
Free warmth and comfort with safety shoes
The heart of the offer was not only the price. It was also the way small free items were tied to specific products that matter at work. Safety shoes from Solid Gear came with a free beanie, a small but welcome extra when mornings on site are cold and long. Winter softshell jackets from Workman arrived with a warm hat, a quiet nod to outdoor shifts and drafty warehouses.
The Totectors Williams safety shoes stood out as well. Three mid-cut, waterproof models in black, stone and wheat colourways were each shown at a price of €138.99. To each pair, Bowork added a free pack of five work socks. For anyone who spends hours standing or walking on hard floors, this combination matters. Good socks reduce friction, improve comfort and help workers actually use the safety footwear that keeps them compliant and protected.
Work boots from brands such as Sixton, Grisport and Redbrick received a different kind of bonus: a free tin of leather grease. This leaned into a simple idea that safety experts repeat often. Protective footwear works best when it is cared for. Regular cleaning and conditioning helps keep leather supple, keeps water resistance in shape and extends the life of the boots. A free care product quietly invites buyers to see their footwear as equipment, not as disposable fashion.
Emergency kits beside boots and jackets
Alongside jackets, shoes and boots, Bowork placed three emergency kits in the spotlight. These “noodpakketten” were offered in Small, Medium and Large versions. The Small kit was priced at €61.97, the Medium at €99.16 and the Large at €148.75, all presented with the familiar Dutch warning “OP = OP”, which tells shoppers that once stock is gone, the offer ends.
A closer look at Bowork’s product pages shows how these kits are constructed. The Small kit is described as compact and practical, with six carefully chosen items that cover basic needs in a crisis, such as simple first aid and basic comfort on the road or during short trips. The Large kit contains oral rehydration salts, a high-capacity water filter with spare elements, hygiene gel, a detailed first-aid pack and multiple emergency blankets, designed for people who want more complete preparation for travel, outdoor work or home emergencies. The kits sit within Bowork’s broad personal protective equipment section and are framed as part of staying ready, not as an afterthought. [1][2][11]
This mix of safety footwear and emergency kits matches a wider trend. Guidance from European occupational safety bodies stresses that protective equipment is not only about helmets and gloves. Protective footwear and simple emergency provisions play a key role in preventing injuries and reducing the impact of slips, trips, falls and other incidents, especially in busy workplaces. [3][4][6]
A short Dutch language note
The language of the promotion also tells a small story. Phrases such as “extra kassakorting” and “OP = OP” are typical in Dutch retail. “Extra kassakorting” stresses that the real benefit appears when the shopper is ready to pay. “OP = OP” uses repetition to say “when it is gone, it is gone”, urging people not to wait too long. Seen together, these phrases help explain why the campaign feels both urgent and down to earth: it talks like a shop worker who understands that safety shoes, warm jackets and emergency kits are serious purchases, but still knows that a good deal can make the decision easier.
Safety, service and a specialist identity
Beyond this single Black Friday moment, Bowork’s own descriptions present the company as a specialist in personal protective equipment. The shop and online store focus on work shoes, safety boots, clogs, workwear and a wide range of protective items for hearing, breathing, eyes, face and head. It positions itself as a central place where companies and self-employed workers can kit out an entire team with footwear, clothing and protection under one roof. [1][5][11]
The business has offered this mix since 1990 and now operates both a large physical store and a webshop. Customers can browse hundreds of workwear items from brands such as Workman, Snickers and Tricorp, and can ask for printing and embroidery when uniforms need a logo or company name. In work shoes, the range spans everyday safety sneakers to heavy-duty boots, for both men and women, reflecting changes in style, fit and new safety standards across Europe. [5][7][8][15]
In this context, the November 2025 Black Friday campaign reads less like a random promotion and more like a seasonal snapshot of a bigger story: a Dutch retailer using a busy shopping moment to highlight the importance of good footwear, warm clothing and practical emergency kits in daily working life.
To place these choices within a wider safety discussion, one helpful video comes from European workplace safety experts. It looks at how public institutions bring occupational safety and health into everyday thinking, and how campaigns, guidance and examples encourage employers to take protective footwear and other protective equipment more seriously. [9]
Conclusions
Safety first, discount second
The Black Friday campaign built by Bowork in 2025 shows how a promotion can stay close to real working life. The headline promise is a strong discount code and cheaper outlet items, yet underneath sits a clear safety story: better footwear, warmer clothing and simple emergency kits that can all make a long shift more secure and less stressful.
Everyday items with long-term impact
Free hats, socks and leather grease may sound modest, but they push buyers toward using their gear well. A warm hat increases comfort outdoors, good socks make safety shoes easier to wear all day, and leather care helps boots stay protective for longer. Together with the structure and content of the emergency kits, these details highlight that real protection is built step by step, not in a single grand purchase.
A small language lesson with a wider echo
The short Dutch phrases used in the promotion show how safety and savings can be communicated in simple, human terms. “Extra kassakorting” and “OP = OP” may be retail shorthand, but they also frame protective equipment as normal, everyday shopping rather than something distant or technical. That tone matters when the goal is to keep more workers standing safely on the job, from the warehouse floor to the roadside.
Selected References
[1] Bowork – Personal protective equipment overview, including ear, respiratory, head and face protection, alongside footwear and workwear: https://www.bowork.nl/persoonlijke-beschermingsmiddelen/
[2] Bowork – Emergency kits overview, showing Small, Medium and Large “noodpakketten” with key contents, prices and stock information: https://www.bowork.nl/persoonlijke-beschermingsmiddelen/noodpakketten/
[3] European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) – Protective footwear requirements, selection and ergonomics, explaining how to choose safety shoes that balance protection and comfort: https://oshwiki.osha.europa.eu/en/themes/protective-footwear-requirements-selection-and-ergonomics
[4] Health and Safety Executive, United Kingdom (Europe) – Guidance on specifying slip-resistant footwear and using objective testing to reduce slips and falls: https://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/footprocure.htm
[5] Bowork – Main company site, outlining its role as a shop, webshop and wholesaler of work shoes, workwear and personal protective equipment: https://www.bowork.nl/
[6] European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) – General overview of personal protective equipment and related guidance: https://oshwiki.osha.europa.eu/en/themes/ppe
[7] Bowork – Workwear section, presenting brands such as Workman, Snickers and Tricorp and options for printing and embroidery of corporate clothing: https://www.bowork.nl/werkkleding/
[8] Bowork – Store information page, describing the large physical shop for work shoes and workwear in Bunschoten in the Netherlands (Europe): https://www.bowork.nl/werkschoenen-werkkledingwinkel
[9] EU-OSHA and partners – Video on bringing workplace health and safety to the forefront of public discussion, highlighting occupational safety campaigns and their impact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVmvdO2_C24
[10] Health and Safety Authority, Ireland (Europe) – Advice on footwear to prevent slips and support slip risk assessment and prevention: https://www.hsa.ie/eng/topics/slips_trips_falls/shoes%2C_footwear/
[11] Bowork – Detailed product page for the Large emergency kit, setting out its contents and intended uses for travel, outdoor work and home preparedness: https://www.bowork.nl/noodpakket-large/
[12] Honeywell – Technical guide to EN ISO 20345:2022 safety footwear standard and its updates, including slip resistance and ergonomic expectations: https://automation.honeywell.com/content/dam/honeywell-edam/sps/his/en-gb/campaigns/path-factory/footwear/ia-ppe-pf-technical-guide-footwear.pdf
Appendix
Black Friday
A shopping event that takes place on the Friday after the fourth Thursday of November, often extended over a long weekend, when many shops offer strong discounts to attract customers.
Emergency kit
A compact collection of items such as first-aid materials, water treatment, hygiene products and emergency blankets, kept ready for use in unexpected situations at work, on the road or at home.
Outlet
A section where products are sold at reduced prices because they are from older seasons, overstock or end-of-line ranges, often used by retailers to offer extra value on still-useful goods.
Personal protective equipment
Clothing and gear such as helmets, gloves, safety footwear, eye protection and hearing protection, worn to reduce the risk of injury when people face hazards in their work.
Safety footwear
Shoes or boots designed for work, built to standards that may include toe protection, slip-resistant soles, puncture-resistant midsoles and other features to protect the feet in hazardous environments.
Work socks
Durable socks designed for use with work shoes or boots, often thicker or reinforced in key areas to reduce friction, improve comfort and help keep feet dry during long shifts.
Workwear
Clothing designed for use on the job, including jackets, trousers, overalls and high-visibility items, made to withstand wear and tear and sometimes to provide added protection or visibility.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 