to want to shout at Primark shoppers?

[baiyu]

I mean really, just how many shoppers without a conscience are there? There really is no justification for shopping somewhere that treats its garment workers so badly and has continued to do despite years of campaigning.

Primark are thriving in the economic downturn making workers lives worse and worse as they struggle to keep up with orders. Being poor is no excuse, I can?t afford to buy new clothes but I?d rather my few quid went to Oxfam than ABF and their cruel trading practices. So tell me, why do people shop there? The quality is terrible too, how is it a bargain if an item of clothing lasts ten minutes?

I?m not just reading the Daily Mail by the way, researching things like this is my job, the working conditions have NOT improved and it?s just making me angry! AIBU to think more people should care?

Oh shut up.

I need clothes to wear, and so does my DS.

If I can only afford to go to Primark, then I will go to Primark.

And I don't need some precious "Look At Me, I'm So Great" arse preaching at me about it.

baiyu to be fair a constant challenge to most people is whether or not to commit to that extra dance/gymnastics class for a younger sibling, whether or not they can actually afford that trip to the zoo before payday, should you take those extra shifts and not see your dcs as much one week, top up mobile phone or stick an extra tenner of petrol in the car?. Primarks ethical practices are a nonsense as are Poundland's etc ( I read the papers too) but their prices are what people need at the minute.

So what would happen if people stopped buying from Asda, Tesco, Primark, will have a negative impact on these people, they will be out of a job and will not be able to support their families and will be far worse off. Yes I do believe that companies should be doing much more to ensure that their suppliers adopt ethical working practices, most of the hightstreet are guilty, just because its expensive does not mean its ethical either.

I've been given a bag of second-hand baby clothes by one of my mum's friends. The T-shirts, shorts etc are all really good quality and are in and out of the machine on a daily basis. I looked at the labels to see where they were from - Primark!

Oh dear Broness, I have been given some lovely clothes by my friend with an older dd, oh no they are from George, Tesco, Sainsburys and Poundland I should give them back to her this will not do.

YABVU and extremely holier than thou.

You mention buying your clothes from charity shops. When I worked in West Africa I saw markets piled with mountains of clothes which charity shops had sent from the UK because they couldn't sell them in England. This had the effect of damaging the local textile industry.

I hope you haven't eaten any chocolate recently, because there was a chance it was produced by children who had been trafficked away from their parents.

And I also hope you don't have a mobile phone because the mineral that makes it vibrate has helped to fuel the civil war there.

I could go on. I just think it's ridiculous to single out Primark.

If we all stopped shopping at Primark and the children in their factories lost their jobs, what do you think would happen to them? They wouldn't start going to school and live happily ever after, they and their family would be worse off.

I have not got time to check out the links at the moment, but last time I researched this issue Gap and Nike were the pits when it came to how they treated their workers. I was gutted when I found out Converse are Nike owned.

I thought Top shops practises were pretty grim too? My info may be well out of date though.

To be honest I think we should be focussing our energies on obtaining conflict free minerals for our technology purchases. If even one company would make ethically produced mobiles or lap tops I think it would be great for regions such as The Congo, it seems to be an issue that people never discuss.

EmmaKate.

i do care about child labour and terrible working conditions and all of that.
but to be brutally honest, which is all i can be, on a day to day basis when DD13 has grown out of her school trousers yet again, i care about my own family more.
i know thats awful, thats just how it is.

and i get peed off with attitudes that everyone who shops cheap is irresponsible. im looking after the people i can help the most, thats my own family. thats why my comment may have seemed irrelevant to you.

YABU I love primark!!! best shop ever

I'd love to shop 'ethically' we're lucky to have some cheap charity shops near us which I've got loads of DD clothes in (trousers for 25p!!!) but she's growing out of things at the moment, and I've looked but not found anything so we're going to have to go to primark or similar.
I haven't had any new clothes in a long long time, I mend things as they wear out, but when DD grows she needs new clothes, and if primark is all we can afford then that's what it has to be, even primark stretches our budget.
I don't believe shopping in more expensive shops means the clothes are more ethical.

Erm, what about Gap?

YABU because nearly all shops import clothing from overseas manufacturers with shocking employment standards - Primark is the same as most other shops.

Paying more for something generally does not mean that the person who made it gets any more money than for making a cheap PRimark item - surely you know that?

If you don't like the way they treat their workers, and you're right not to, boycotting is not the answer. Then the garment workers will be without jobs and have to turn to something worse like picking through the garbage or prostitution.

Better to voice your concern by writing to the chief exec and tell him how you feel.

Look at the Labour behind the Label website, it has some template emails you can send.

www.labourbehindthelabel.org/

most cotton picking in the world involves child labour. It is almost impossible to avoid child labour.

I've not read the whole thread, but YANBU. Obviously Primark is not the only villain of the high street, but all those bleating about not being able to afford to go anywhere else, tell me, where did you used to shop before Primark existed?

I don't accept those that claim not to be able to afford x,y and z. I'd far rather someone said 'yes, I shop at Primark, and don't care about the ethics or the workers'. At least that would be honest. But people prioritise what they spend money on and justify buying stuff from Primark.

Realistically, you could shop at car boot sales, on Ebay or at charity shops. You could eat meat less or become vegetarian. You could holiday in the UK or Europe and not take long haul flights.

But all this 'I have no money, poor me' just doesn't ring true I'm afraid. My grandparents made do and mend - clothes were recycled, darned, hand made. Once really raggedy, they were used as floor cloths or dusters. Now people buy disposable cleaning wipes and claim poverty.

RockinSockBunnies- bit confused by your post Primark has been in N.Ireland for years. My mum shopped there when I was in primary school and I'm in my late thirties. Reason I can't afford to shop as much in some other stores : 2 very fast growing kids, big morgage, groceries more expensive, petrol more expensive, low paying wage, need I go on, might be more helpful if you read whole thread! Long haul flights my arse.

On a saturday, I see hordes of people come out of Primark with bags and bags of tat. It's like the IKEA effect, it's cheap so you feel you need to put a load more stuff in your trolley than you would normally.

Does anyone remember Goldee?

Rockinsockbunnies Not everyone cAN GET TO CAR BOOT SALES, charity shops don't always have what you need when you need it and are not cheap, ebay isn't cheap either and you can't try stuff on or return it if unsuitable.

oh yeah and long haul flights my arse too. How many PRimark shoppers really travel long haul every year?

hahaha at long haul flights ..I fucking wish ...

Agree with all others who say it is not just Primark. A rather patronising ad generalising attitude OP

Also agree that Primark stuff is not 'crap' (and those who say it is have either not bought anything there or have had very bad luck). I have summer tops from there, one in particular is a favourite - it fits well, is comfortable and gets compliments (ppl have asked 'is that Monsoon?' ). Its 3 years old and has been well worn but still looks fab!

I also buy (and sell) on Ebay - and in Asda, Tesco etc, partly cos i can't afford much else at the moment (and partly cos i am tight careful)

Rocking socks bunnies, e bay cheap! Noway, people bid to the highest price, not cheap at all! Yes I have Primark things that have been in my wardrobe for a number of years, I dont throw it away unless I get too fat for them. Yes RSB I do care, but clothing my family on a budget has to come first. As I and others have said, boycotting them will not help the workers one bit, it would only leave them without a job and not being able to feed their families.

Primark's only really been around in the south of England for the last five years, if not less than that. Obviously there've been cheap shops around, but not to the extent that Primark has made clothing cheap.

Ebay can be very cheap and lots of sellers offer returns. Freecycle and gumtree etc also offer clothes.

I know that everyday living costs are expensive, but fundamentally people still make choices about where and how to spend their money.