Why I Applaud Not Perfect Linen’s Decision to Drop Permanent Discount Codes
A reflection on fair pricing, consumer trust, and what it really means to value quality European craftsmanship
Today (March 19th 2026), Simona, co-founder of Not Perfect Linen, sent an open letter to all her customers — and I, as one of them, found it honest, personal, and, frankly, refreshing.
Simona announced that NPL is moving away from permanent, always-available discount codes. Instead, the brand will shift toward year-round fair pricing — with discounts reserved for genuine exceptions like loyalty campaigns, affiliate partnerships, or carefully chosen collection moments.
The reasons? A combination of new U.S. import tariffs, rising production and material costs, and — perhaps most interestingly — a long-held personal conviction that constant discounting simply wasn’t right.
The discount trap
Here’s something I’ve been thinking about as a consumer myself: when a brand offers -30% or -40% week after week, it quietly sends a message. Not the one they intend, but this one: “Our regular price isn’t really our real price.”
And once that thought takes root, the trust in the brand’s pricing erodes. You start waiting for the next sale. You feel foolish for having paid full price. And ironically, the brand that was trying to attract you has inadvertently trained you to value their products less.
There’s also a fairness issue. If discount codes are publicly findable — on coupon sites, in forums, shared on social media — then two customers buying the exact same piece may pay very different prices. That’s not a loyalty reward. That’s just an uneven playing field.
Fair pricing is a sign of respect
When a brand commits to honest, stable pricing, it’s making a statement: this is what our product is worth, and we stand behind that. It respects the customer who paid full price last month. It respects the craft and the people behind it. And it removes the exhausting race to the bottom that discount culture creates internally — the constant pressure to cut costs somewhere to protect margins.
Simona was clear in her letter: NPL will not compromise on their exclusive linen fabrics, their craftsmanship, their customisation, or their colour range. Those are non-negotiables. And rightly so.
This matters for European manufacturing
At InEurope.eu, we focus on brands that make things well, in Europe, with integrity. The business models that support that kind of manufacturing need to be sustainable — not just environmentally, but economically.
Permanent discount codes are fundamentally incompatible with that. They put pressure on brands to cut corners somewhere. And for small European manufacturers competing against cheap mass production, that pressure can be existential.
Not Perfect Linen’s decision to move toward fair, transparent pricing is, in my view, the more honest and ultimately more sustainable path — for the brand, for the people who make the garments, and for the customers who wear them.
I applaud it. And I hope more European brands follow.
Not Perfect Linen is a Lithuanian linen clothing brand. You can find them at notperfectlinen.com. And no, this is not an affiliate link 🙂
InEurope.eu is a platform dedicated to European-made clothing and outdoor gear.
Jakob De Proft – Founder InEurope
