to ask if anyone has boycotted stores etc

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Have any of you boycotted any shops or particular brands because you don't agree with some of there policies?

I often see on things like fb or twitter people saying this. For example people boycotting tesco due to the bad taste 'mental' patient Halloween costume.

I will be honest and say I've never even thought about boycotting somewhere.

I stopped using Iceland when they started the Mums go to Iceland adverts. I was very young at the time and always did the weekly shop with my dad.

I used to avoid Woolworths as they accused me of shoplifting when I was about 10! I try to buy Israeli products, especially from the Golan Heights. After Woolies' demise, I don't consciously boycott anything, as it's difficult to do so consistently....

I boycott Lush.

DM avoids the Co-OP because they served adults before her, aged 7ish.

Co-OP was at the bottom of her hill, and she was often sent in errands.

I boycott all Israeli products, but admittedly that's not very difficult.

My husband tried to get me to boycott Paypal when they closed in on Julian Assange but ultimately I find Ebay too useful.

I boycott Chick-fil-a in the US because they campaign against gay marriage and contribute to some extremely hateful anti-gay organisations.

I also don't shop at Forever 21, Urban Oufitters and Anthropologie because the owner of each is very conservative and donates money to far right groups. I find Urban Outfitters particularly foul as they're often selling to the very people against whom they campaign.

My sense of smell boycotts Lush.

I boycott all cheap takeaway food outlets because of the terrible treatment of the chickens etc. and the environmental damage they cause.

Countess V - you might feel better from not buying sharon fruit, but I can guarantee that if you have electronic equipment you will be using Israeli products, especially chips - ditto, vast amounts of the software you install comes from Israel, as do a huge proportion of generic pharmaceuticals.

Let's hope you never end up needing one of these: rewalk.com/

Nestle, or anything by any of the companies they own, if at all possible. There is a good list available on this website.

Coca Cola, I think they are horrible and exploitative & polluting - google 'coca cola pollution'

Macdonalds, they support cutting down the rainforests to grow soya to feed their cattle on. The cattle live on more land that used to be rainforest. The land is only usefule for a few years before it becomes barren as the soil is often so thin, it washes away into the rivers & pollutes them, it isn't replenished because it was only kept there by the forest which has been destroyed. There are other companies that cut down the rainforest too, (palm oil growers for example) & I try not to buy their products either if there is any other option. Google 'macdonalds rainforest' & ' palm oil rainforest'.

I never buy battery eggs. I would sooner do without. Lentils and rice make a perfectly acceptable aource of protein if I can't afford nice eggs, & are cheaper.

Gah, typos. Damned tablet.

Our local shoe shop because the woman is bloody rude. It's a real pain for me, but it needs to be done.

All that there is required for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
I supposed it is called "taking your money from where your mouth is"...
or something. It is really ethics in action when you actually suffer - ie cannot get the item/price you want because of your beliefs.

Are we not blessed to actually have the choice?

I only buy three things on that Nestle list - Nescafe, Felix and Maybelline. I used to buy more but have just changed. It's not a boycott.

If I ever decided to boycott, the Felix would be the biggest problem. The only other food the cat eats is from Lidl. He seemed to prefer it and it's actually cheaper than Felix, but the nearest shop is about 20 minutes away by bus. I might get a tartan trolley and load up like a mad old cat lady. I could be virtuous while saving money.

Our local shoe shop is awful. The shoes are nice but the staff are horrible. I don't go in there any more.
Also, if I see someone driving like a tit in a company van, that would put me off using them. I do have a terrible memory though and it's likely that I have used one of them, simply because I have forgotten having seen this.

We actively avoid Starbucks for their UK tax evasion and Primark for their lack of ethical support for workers in the factories they procure from. Consider those factories where the local government doesn't afford the workers a great deal of protection and so consumers should rely on the retailer having strong ethical requirements to ensure worker safety as part of their trade agreement. e.g. Bangladesh textiles factories.

I have actively boycotted Tesco for over three years, and can't see that changing.
We have an Express store 200 yards from our house that I refuse to use, ( I go to the independent shop next door instead, he's cheaper and friendlier) and another NINE branches within a seven mile radius, including two Extras literally within a mile of each other -either side of a reasonably large housing estate, walking distance apart.
I live in an area of roughly 100,000 people - we now have more branches of Tesco than we have secondary schools.

I have several good reasons for avoiding them - I don't like their business practice of putting a shop on any available site, as to me they are disguising greed with convenience.

At least three of these "Express" shops have been built with no parking provision at all, meaning people constantly park on double yellow lines, across junctions and even on zebra crossings just to buy a pint of milk - yet when my OH was in there once getting some stuff for work (he still goes occasionally but I never do), the manager was literally shouting at customers for blocking her delivery bay. He had walked there, much to her annoyance.

The little shops are consistently much more expensive than the bigger branches, but if asked why, the staff say they are a separate company and have nothing to do with the main Tesco (WTF?!)

I lost count of how many simple requests were met with rude or arrogant replies - for example, "Do you have any frozen sweetcorn, as there's none out?" Reply: "Well, does it look like it?" - that happened on several occasions in two branches and was the last straw.

And they are too expensive as well.

Luckily I live within driving distance of all the other supermarkets, ASDA, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, M&S and Waitrose, and both ASDA and Sainsbury's are opposite Tesco so there is plenty of choice, and no-one has to go there if they don't need to, but I would hate to be forced to shop there.

The only regret is that lots of my mates get great Clubcard rewards like theme park tickets, but I refuse to give up my principles for that, so I can't claim them!

I'm not for a second saying all Tesco staff are rude, of course they're not but I have met plenty who are - it's almost as if being the number one supermarket gives some of them a superiority complex that I refuse to buy into.

Sorry if you work there but are lovely!

I refuse to buy anything in Scribbler because of the disgusting sweary sexist cards they display in their window.

Tesco and the local Pound shop after the assistants stood talking instead of serving I walked out with a loud 'you are paid to serve not talk' and a Pet shop that had gold fish crammed together in a small tank without any additional airstone they were are gasping at the top

I boycott eBay after they were very rude to me on the phone. I was a business seller and had sold over 10000 items their atttitude to the seller is all wrong. also charges abd fees got so high it wasn't worth doing any more.
Also boycott Oxfam after I saw how they worked abd how much money was wasted by them when I worked in west Africa. I know only support charities abroad if I know where money is going e.g. a specific orphanage.
And Tescos enough has been said about them already but I agree.

Nestle since I was 10, KFC for about 2 years now and the local pet shop who simply don't know what they are talking about or care about the animals

No, because it doesn't work.

Bigcat I also boycott oxfam but thought I was mean so didn't want to admit to it. Two reasons the prices on the stuff donated and the fact they seem to support abroad and at the moment we need a lot in this country. I support the Macmillan nurses and local hospices. Would it be mean of me to say I didn't get red nose etc day.

cottonbud Me too to all yours I have boycotted cxxx cxxx for MANY years since they said on a programme on telly that they were aiming to have their brown sugar water product in taps next to the hot and cold water ones in everyone's homes. (i nearly choked at the time )