[News] Boots have pulled out of the Ethical Trading Initiative

[poprock]

As the thread title says, Boots have pulled out of the ETI. Which is a bit shite.

The ETI is the voluntary agreement between high street retailers not to exploit child labour, to pay workers throughout the supply chain a fair wage, and all that sort of common-sense good stuff.

It’s fairly obvious that this is the latest in a long line of changes that come down to Boots no longer being a family owned business (they were a bunch of Quakers, apparently) and now being under private equity.

Full story at The Guardian.

[Ghostsuit]

"They see business as a one-­dimensional financial world," said Peter Williams, speaking for members of the ETI including Oxfam and Christian Aid. "It's not what the consumer wants. They don't want the cheapest product if the person at the end of the supply chain is paying the cost."

I thing this person is talking shite. Just look at primark, people just don't want to know the person at the end is suffering, even after they are told they still buy from primark.

Shame really.

[Mwezzi]

Originally Posted by Ghostsuit

"They see business as a one-*dimensional financial world," said Peter Williams, speaking for members of the ETI including Oxfam and Christian Aid. "It's not what the consumer wants. They don't want the cheapest product if the person at the end of the supply chain is paying the cost."

I thing this person is talking shite. Just look at primark, people just don't want to know the person at the end is suffering, even after they are told they still buy from primark.

Shame really.

I dunno, after that outrage at Primark's child labour they did start putting up signs and saying they were improving their practices, which was reassuring to some people who'd previously stopped shopping there. They're still not brilliant but people did want to at least be told that things were getting better before they spent their money. I'd say that the public is getting more aware of ethical standards and, whilst it's not a huge factor is many people's shopping choices it is slowly becoming a bigger issue.

Boots vehemently denied the decision to pull out was linked to being owned by an aggressive private equity firm. "Our decision not to renew our ETI membership is not connected in any way to the ownership of the business," it said. "Boots UK was monitoring its suppliers very vigorously before taking up membership of ETI in 2003 and has received a national award for the robustness of our approach in relation to supply-chain verification. Boots UK will be broadening our approach to include many more aspects of sustainability in the future, so our approach will become even more robust."

So, if they're committed keeping and even improving their standards, why did they cancel their membership?

[pANDAS Radio]

Primark is always an easy target, gotta wonder just how ethical George @ Asda's incredibly cheap school uniforms are. Still, shite of Boots.

Originally Posted by Mwezzi

whilst it's not a huge factor is many people's shopping choices it is slowly becoming a bigger issue.

Yeah, like Fairtrade stuff. Despite it not being the most widely available stuff it is still a massive success that's still growing.

[poprock]

I’m just wondering how much the ETI charge for membership/subscription/whatever. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that there’s two sides to this story.

*Edit: Found the figures.

Originally Posted by ETI website

Companies with turnover from £1 million to £100 million:
fees from £2,000 rising on a scale to £6,000.

Companies with turnover from £100 million to £1 billion:
fees from £7,300 rising on a scale to £12,500.

Companies with turnover from over £1 billion:
fees from £25,000 rising on a scale to a maximum of £30,000.

Actually not that much, for this sort of organisation. Cash probably wasn’t a factor for Boots in leaving.

[Ghostsuit]

Originally Posted by poprock

I’m just wondering how much the ETI charge for membership/subscription/whatever. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that there’s two sides to this story.

*Edit: Found the figures.



Actually not that much, for this sort of organisation. Cash probably wasn’t a factor for Boots in leaving.

I was going to mentioned that too but your right on the scale of things it's not a huge factor, mind you if they get a nice bit of advertising and then turn round and join up again and get some more advertising could be worth dropping out .

As for people being interested, I agree they maybe interested but it's the same as fruit and veg, people might like to eat it more but it's cheaper/easier to get other things. I think people are inherently lazy about this stuff and also the majority don't have the money to "buy ethical" cause let's face it it's nearly always cheaper to buy slave labour, non organic, rain forest destroying, polluting products .

Not saying there's not a good bunch out there fighting the good fight though. Still it's small steps and a shame a company this size is back tracking.

[erithromycin]

Pulled out? Could they no have stayed in and sold themsels' some Levonelle?