Watching Blood, Sweat and T-shirts left me rethinking my wardrobe choices but now major bargain retailer Primark are rethinking theirs. It has been announced today that they have ditched three of its suppliers in Southern India due to use of child labour.
"Primark is an ethical business that demands the highest standards from its suppliers. It has a strict Supplier Code of Conduct which expressly bans the use of child labour."
When asked how they can keep their prices so low they explained, "We don't overcharge our customers. Most of our clothes are bought from the same factories as other fashion retailers. We use simple designs, our overhead costs are extremely low and we don't run expensive advertising campaigns."
Primark also said that they would launch the 'Primark Better Lives Foundation' to provide financial assistance to organisations devoted to improving the lives of young people.
Source
La Femme
That's good that Primark are making a stand, but I still think that surely something that cheap can't be that ethical.
1I don't think it could ever be entirely ethical, but I've got the same argument for places like Zara, Topshop and H&M, etc. Except they mark up their prices. I've purchased items from all three top high street stores that have quality comparable to that of Primark. Cheap labour all around. That goes for the so-called do-gooders Gap as well - very hypocritical.
2Good for them if they make a stand, I have never bought anything from Primark and never will
and yah I agree with LArgent, something that cheap can't possibly be ethical. What kind of legal workers would be happy to get paid so
little??
3I think it's really wrong to single Primark out from all the other high street retailers, as they do use the same suppliers. As they've said, their prices are cheap because they have incredibly thin profit margins on each item, they don't advertise and don't spend much money on making their shops look very nice. When they reduce anything in price, they're losing money on that item, unlike places like Topshop where even the deepest reductions result in profit. I'm obviously against sweatshops, but I think all shops should be held equally responsible.
4Post A Comment
To post comments, please log in or register.