When did Boden switch their production to China?

[LaurieFairyCake]

I've just had a delivery and I'm irritated as I was trying to cut down on buying goods from China - not because I'm anti the Chinese people but because I want to buy more local/ethical as much as possible

But I was seduced by a couple of items because I got 30% off and just didn't think it was produced in China

Any idea how long they've been making in China? Is it all their goods now?

@Fluffycloudland77 - why is your response to boiling lobsters alive in the Uk to not eat them but your response to the alleged eating of dogs in China (which is in fact illegal there) is to boycott all Chinese goods? Can you see how that might be seen as racist?

They have been manufacturing in China for at least 10 years as I have bought Boden clothes in China since my dd was a toddler: excess stock, seconds etc.

There are loads of independent clothes manufacturers / retailers in this country. Eg:
Popsy
Lady V
Vivienne of Holloway

Niche markets of course but you just need to shop around and have a google.

@CayrolBaaaskin are you saying I’m not allowed to dislike other countries unless we find another slaughter method for lobsters?.

I have principles when it comes to animals. It’s quicker for me to not eat shellfish so I’m not taking part in the process. Same as me not eating meat.

That part of the world, and the Russians, are no friend of ours.

Thanks for this Op, I had no idea that Boden clothes were manufactured in China - so much for them being a British brand. I do my best to avoid Chinese made goods because of the appalling human right abuses (the detention of Uighurs) and as an animal lover, the indefensible wet markets etc.

That part of the world, and the Russians, are no friend of ours.

Well this thread escalated.

"The indefensible wet markets". Oh, you smug virtue-signaling fools. I hope you spend as much time sourcing alternatives to Chinese products as you do banging on with your thinly-veiled racism dressed-up as humanitarianism.

Some of you are so charmingly backward with your "they eat dogs" and "in light of the current situation" bollocks. How are you not embarrassed? Do people not gently point out to you that you're an idiot irl?

I lived in China for an incredibly long time. Dog consumption until this year was legal in most areas, particularly in the south and in the north where the ethnic Korean enclaves live.

There is now a ban due to the coronavirus situation, but as always in China, enforcement is a big issue.

Don’t pretend this stuff doesn’t exist. I have seen dog meat trucks. Horrific stuff.

your thinly-veiled racism dressed-up as humanitarianism

I don’t see what’s racist about this conversation. Consumers have every right to make sure their purchases are ethical (or based on price or sustainability or whatever they value).

Certainly the avoidance of purchases from a regime that imprisons and ‘re-educated’ vast numbers of ethnic minorities falls within those parameters.

We should also note here that China is aggressively forcing domestic law on Hong Kong despite promising not to interfere in their internal matters until 2047. Way, way ahead of schedule there.

Wet markets are normal markets which sell fruit, vegetables and meat. They are found all over Asia and are not the same as markets which sell wild animals for consumption. Markets which sell wild animals have been banned since February and hopefully these new restrictions are being strictly enforced.

I'm all for supporting local businesses but I think it would be very hard to avoid things are made in China. The phone that you're using, the fabric of your clothes, the furniture. The vast majority is made in china to a certain extent. That's just how things are at the moment.

Also let's not forget that China is a massive country with a billion people. Yes a minority of barbaric, uneducated people eat dogs but the majority don't. Believe it or not it is frowned upon over there. When you have a population that big, you'd expect some people to be vile creatures.