Corporate social responsibility - AKA Primark is bad.

[Draven]

Ok so need to extend a hand out to the AN massive for some help for my girlfriend. She's doing her dissertation for her fashion marketing course at Heriot Watt on the ethics of large fashion retailers/marketing.

Lately there's been a lot of publicity about Primark and it's bad ethics, such as using child labour. My girlfriend is trying to find out if all labels/retailers do this, and if the ones that say they don't have bad ethics actually are lying basically. She needs some help from you guys on this as there is a short online quiz about it to see how much people actually know about fashion companies ethics. She needs around 400 responses so I've been asked to whore myself out to you lot.

I would be extremely grateful if you could take a couple of minutes to fill out her quiz on ethics in fashion and of course feel free to discuss it here too.

Apologies if this is wrong forum.

Thanks all!

[Tacky]

"My girlfriend is trying to find out if all labels/retailers do this"

I think pretty much if it says 'made in China' - our survey says yes. ANd if every shop wasnt called by its brand/logo/label, but by where its made, argyle street, buchanan street and sauchiehall would resad made in China! (or Turkey)

[Kenny Macca Doo]

I was gonna buy a suit from them on Wednesday :-(.

[Tacky]

See, what i want to know is; do primark pay the exact same as the other high street names, except the others exploit them as they have a far higher mark up than Primark; thus Primark actually arent as 'bad' as they are perceived....?

[JennyPiccolo]

i filled it out.

Originally Posted by Tacky

See, what i want to know is; do primark pay the exact same as the other high street names, except the others exploit them as they have a far higher mark up than Primark; thus Primark actually arent as 'bad' as they are perceived....?

I *think* Primark switch suppliers and go with whoevers cheapest quite frequently, which gives them the edge in price.

It also makes them extra unethical, because not only are they using sweatshops and not paying farmers fair prices for cotton, they are also liable to suddenly drop the contract, and leave people our of jobs and with ruined land.

[Ghostsuit]

Answered and I have no clue about most places to be honest. I buy clothes I like but mostly from TK Maxx and mainly surf brands which could be made in sweat shops for all I know.

[DiskoTwist]

Hi all, Im Dravens girlfriend aka the researcher lol. Cheers for doing the survey

I would say that from what i have researched so far, many people claim to be 'ethically aware' in terms of the production of fashion garments, but in reality don't care when its your money you're spending. I know, as a student im on a tight budget and although Primark is the worst i have seen so far, still offers affordable clothing, which when you only have £30 for clothes are you going to buy one t-shirt from USC or a whole outfit?

Please if you have any other thoughts comment back, there really are no right or wrong answers, I just want to get an accurate idea of what people think

[Esme]

Originally Posted by DiskoTwist

Primark is the worst i have seen so far, still offers affordable clothing, which when you only have £30 for clothes are you going to buy one t-shirt from USC or a whole outfit?

Please if you have any other thoughts comment back, there really are no right or wrong answers, I just want to get an accurate idea of what people think

I don't think you can know for a fact that Primark are the worst.
Did you notice in that biased BBC documentary, that they kept finding clothes for other retailers being made in the same places? And that the owners said Primark get priority because they pay more? The director of the doc admitted in his publicity interviews that he targetted Primark as an example, but that during his trip he had seen plenty of other popular British high street retailers, having goods made in the same places and by children. In fact he called the practice widespread and common. Funny how they just targetted the foreign retailer then?

Primark have, for years, been involved in child education in the countries they work in. They did this informally through giving part of their profits to the Irish charity Concern, who provide education, water and health care in 3rd world countries. They always did this quietly and never used it to sell more cheap socks.

However since that doc, they were forced to create their own foundation to counteract the bad publicity it brought. They are now competing with agencies they used to support and this type of diversification is a major problem in holding back development in these countries.

Also, Primark were one of the first shops in Ireland to ban plastic bags prior to the law banning them.

Primark are a member of some ethical trading thing as well, they've got a sticker in the Argyle St window about it. That could admittedly mean fuck all, but I certainly don't begrudge Primark their market share when their competitors do the same thing but earn a higher markup for it.

[princessoPUNK]

Originally Posted by Esme

I don't think you can know for a fact that Primark are the worst.
Did you notice in that biased BBC documentary, that they kept finding clothes for other retailers being made in the same places? And that the owners said Primark get priority because they pay more? The director of the doc admitted in his publicity interviews that he targetted Primark as an example, but that during his trip he had seen plenty of other popular British high street retailers, having goods made in the same places and by children. In fact he called the practice widespread and common. Funny how they just targetted the foreign retailer then?

Primark have, for years, been involved in child education in the countries they work in. They did this informally through giving part of their profits to the Irish charity Concern, who provide education, water and health care in 3rd world countries. They always did this quietly and never used it to sell more cheap socks.

However since that doc, they were forced to create their own foundation to counteract the bad publicity it brought. They are now competing with agencies they used to support and this type of diversification is a major problem in holding back development in these countries.

Also, Primark were one of the first shops in Ireland to ban plastic bags prior to the law banning them.

Whether they are the worst or not, they are still bad. Its all well and good donating money to charities that help educate children, but to be honest, the employment of children for labour undoes that good work. In countries when the few pence they are paid will feed there family for a day, children will go to work, even if school is an option.

Many of the other high street shops use a similar 'workforce'. The only way to know for certain is to buy clothes you know have been made in the UK.

[JennyPiccolo]

...or that have been fairly made.

[Radiohead]

I don't buy clothes from Primark or New Look anymore...it wasn't an ethical decision, it's because nearly everything I've bought from either of them shrinks after a couple of washes. I thought it was just the way I washed them, or stuck them in the dryer instead of ironing them...but if that were the case, then ALL my clothes would have shrunk by now.

[princessoPUNK]

Originally Posted by JennyPiccolo

...or that have been fairly made.

Good point! Or make your own.

Originally Posted by princessoPUNK

Many of the other high street shops use a similar 'workforce'. The only way to know for certain is to buy clothes you know have been made in the UK.

Do you think it's ethical to take your business away from a struggling economy leaving them with no way to support their community?

[Warped]

Some of these slums need this work. They get paid peanuts but it's better than starving.