Speaking Out with Your Retail Purchases. Do You?

I don't have the time or energy to do the research necessary on these companies in order to make a political statement with where I shop. I shop at Target for my household stuff (toiletries, cleaning, anything non-grocery, basically) and I shop at Hy-Vee and Wal-Mart for groceries, splitting it to get the best deals on my food. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't afford to rule out certain stores just because of...well, anything.

However, customer service and store cleanliness are a huge deal to me, because those are something I have to deal with. I don't go to Kwik Trip because the people are rude, and when we had a K-Mart I didn't shop there because the store was always filthy.

Now, if a store were OUTWARDLY promoting something against my moral/religious beliefs, I wouldn't shop there...but, I haven't seen any retail commercials promoting abortion or perversion, so I guess I'm okay.

No - I don't take any of that into consideration. When I shop I look for convenience and price.

I shop at Target, Walmart, & Kohls. These stores offer good items, good prices and convenience. I honestly don't care if the items were made here in the USA or in China. I am looking to save money in my household. Besides, these stores are local and help pay local business taxes and provide local jobs.

I take my political and moral beliefs with me to the polls and vote.

Denise, I love your questions!

I am against child labor, that definitely affects my purchasing.
I consider how green a company is (and I am not talking about what the government sanctions as green, I am talking about how close to nature it is and if it holds up to my standard).
Cheapest is NOT always the best route. Period.

I have other reasons, but my coffee buzz LITERALLY just wore off. Bad timing....... :)

Oh, oh!!!! I just remembered!!! I try to buy Fair Trade whenever I can. Good grief. I need to either go to bed or find some more coffee! Fair Trade coffee! :)

I do think about where I spend money.

First, I try to write a check if it is a local mom and pop store so they don't have to pay credit card fees.
Beyond that, I do try to think of their labor practices, carbon footprint etc.
We own quite a bit of stock in different companies and I help advise my husband of not 'buying into' a company with practices we wouldn't support as a couple.

not only do i consider their positions, but how green they are, how they treat their employees, how they contribute to the community and to charities in general, how natural they are, etc.... hmmm, i guess those are positions! so yes :) i am also happy to pay a little more for good service. in some cases more than a little more.

As a matter of fact ...I do! ;)

I live on the Gulf Coast so I always buy local seafood, prefer local artisans, and smaller local shops.

With that being said, I am on a tight budget, and since I like electricity and food, I do shop at the large national stores. But I do read labels, and prefer to purchase "made in America". I will pass on items manufactured in countries that exploit their labor market.

But, another side of me wonders, if we do not purchase from third world countries how will they ever be able to grow their economy and lift themselves to a higher economic status? It is a Gordian knot.

I personally boycott companies that I find contrary to my beliefs and values. Do my little personal "rebellions" make a difference? Eh, probably not, but they make me feel better.

In the long run, I don't think my purchasing "power" makes a bit of difference in the grand scheme of things. So many major American manufacturers are out-sourcing their work that the issue it growing exponentially. If I boycott those companies, then I am not supporting American companies, but I don't want to contribute to labor exploitation, so I can't buy those products either, so what do I buy?

So I do the best I can, and try to make conscientious purchases, while still providing for the needs of my little family.

Oh, my head hurts now.

Thank you Denise for another thought provoking question.
Keep them coming.

God Bless

No, "cheap" on the backs of others is never a good practice, in my book.

There are several large retailers that we do not go to because they don't treat their employees well. Some do this through gender-based pay discrimination. Some do this by hiring a majority of part time staff so that they corporations do not have to pay benefits. Others are just flat-out terrible places to work, period.

Which policies are most important to me? Those which uphold human rights and dignity. This means that their employees are treated relatively well and receive reasonable compensation. This means that the corporation isn't practicing gender-based, racially-based or any other sort of discrimination that diminishes/devalues the rights of others. I have boycotted O. large retailer for their support of a candidate who would continue to degrade the rights of gay and lesbian US Citizens. I care where my money goes, and whom it supports. Human rights policies are the most important, and that's pretty broad, I know.

I do think about all these things, too, when buying toys for my son as well as household goods. Which are the most durable/ least disposable? Which are made with good practices for the environment? When we purchase toys, I want them to be of high quality, so I can use them for a long time within my family, within my business, and then pass them on. I also want to be sure that playing with them won't become a health hazard, or contribute to the degradation of the earth or any community of peoples.

We also want to support organic and healthy farming practices, so we buy from certified organic farmers, as well as the grocery stores which would put local farmers first and sell 'conventionally grown' as the last option. Monsanto doesn't need more of my money, these farmers do.

We rent from the local video store, too, instead of relying on Netflix. Our local store is a landmark and a part of the local economy. I think of this every time I see O. of the clerks out at the grocery store or at the pub. Because I go there, because others like me value what they have to offer, these younger people have a job. Ditto local cafes.

I want to do what I can to support a better world. To me, this means being thoughtful about what I'm buying, why I'm purchasing it, if it's needed, etc. I don't need more of anything, really. Most of our non-food purchases are merely to replace things we have worn out or grown out of. (like my son's clothes, esp.) Most of our money is spent on necessities, utilities, food, mortgage. To corporations however, I don't have any 'voice' other than my wallet.

I keep that into consideration when shopping. I stopped shopping Target recently due to their antigay stance, but I also hesitated with Wal Mart for a while due to the way they treated employees for a while. The thing is that if you worry too much about it all there will be no where to shop and save money.

I try to pay attention to what stores I give my hard earned dollars too. It is important to know where your money goes and where it supports political organizations or other causes that I may or may not agree with. I really believe in shopping locally and helping your own community--so when I find out about a cool website or vendors or certain artisans locally--I try to support them first. I may pay a bit more, but it is worth it to me because it goes to a cause I love and support.

M

I just try to buy stuff made in the USA!

How green, how they treat their employees. I didn't know about Target's anti-gay stance. . . .oh dear. I'm going to have to research that O. and decided then.

I have a hard time shopping at walmart b/c of the terrible labor and trade practices for their product employees... nike too is a company I won't support for those same reasons. I prefer to support local farmers and artisans over mass produced items, but sometimes I have to bite the bullet, b/c we are on a very tight budget as well.

I know my father refused to purchase fuji products b/c they didn't hire him due to his religion... so everyone has their thing.

I try-and believe me when I say I had a difficult time with BCBS when I found out the CEO got a $282 million bonus-and I am a capitalist! That's repugnant. Also-I try very hard not to buy anything unless it is made in the USA.

I shop at places that are clean, have friendly employees, have easy parking (hey...in the city of Chicago, this is critical), and what I need to buy.

Other than that, no I really do not care. I probably should but I don't. I always think, "You know, maybe I should go to the weekly farmer's market in the summer" but then I have to worry about schlepping the kids in the sun, finding parking, do they take cash (do I have cash?), will they have what I need, will the cost be comparable, and on and on...so I go for convenience.

Different opinions/ people are what make this such a great country! I think it is soooo crazy that so many people take so much time to research this stuff. Everyone has their own opinion, stance on things. So you don't agree with some, great! Good for a debate. Sometimes other opinions open our eyes to things we didn't realize. Some people are too stubborn and O. sided to even hear anything other then their own thoughts. To me reading these posts it seems that everyone needs their own island where your in the land of SAME. I tend to agree with another poster that if a store made a billboard about their stance on something then I would steer clear because that to me is stupid and is only drawing a certain clientele. Off the subject but totally in the direction...My son got a controvercial surgery. He is Deaf and my husband and I made a VERY difficult decision to get him Cochlear Implants so that he could hear. There are some Deaf individuals that think there is nothing wrong with being Deaf and we should have let our child make that decision when he was old enough. My husband and I took a year to look into pros and cons. We talked to people who had implants already and made our choice (what was best for our son and our family). Because there are such strong opinions on this we have lost MANY friends. We have our son enrolled in a deaf school where he has access to spoken language through out his day as well. We feel like we are giving him a choice this way. We are judged based on our choice and I HATE IT!! I do not judge others just because I disagree with them. They are still good people and as long as they are upstanding people then so what if we have a different opinion. So sorry I went off subject, could go on forever with that. Sorry but I felt the point was valid. Thanks for the interesting debate! :)

I make it a priority, but it doesnt always happen. Every time I need to buy new clothing/shoes/jewelry I check Etsy.com first so I can buy from an artisan living in the US, trying to make an honest living. I found a spectacular watch on there for my husband last year. The funny thing is I dont know what those people do with their money. Their bank statements are not public record. For all I know they could be funneling it to terrorist organizations. But I guess I choose that website (and others like it) because I like the idea of directly paying the individual rather than the huge corporation. In addition I have the option of choosing artisans who use organic fabric, reclaimed materials, minimal packaging, eco-friendly dyes, etc. There are times when I need to buy underwear or deodorant, and Target is just a mile down the road so I go there. I do my best. Food is easy. We have a great farmer's market as well as roadside fruit & veggie stands. I think that voting with your money on an everyday basis is more powerful than voting in a ballot box. You can complain all day long about this politician, or that O., but be sure you look at whose pockets you're lining when you make your everyday purchases. It might be the very same people you're complaining about!

We try. We try to buy things made in the USA. It's hard to find everything we need, and when we do, a lot of times they are way overpriced. We don't shop at walmart or sams club. We stopped going to target because of their anti-gay position.
Cheaper is not always best. I always research when making a purchase (except groceries).

oh, absolutely. i don't shop at walmart, and do support local small producers whenever possible.
i was pretty amused that my light-hearted response to the last thread got yoinked, even though it was by far the least 'flaming' O.!
so while i support buying where your heart and priorities lie, i think it's a little facetious to be all self-righteous about doing it while slamming others- then claiming that you've been slammed!
:D khairete
S.

I don't necessarily agree. If I need/want something, and a company has it, I'll buy it. Especially if they are the cheapest.

The only exception is if that I'm aware that said company actively endorses something that is not in line with something I find to be morally/ethically correct. For example, I would never give a dime to Time Warner as I believe they are connected with the Bin Laden family. I am more likely to spend my money somewhere that actively gives money to something I believe in firmly. I also love to go to Farmers markets to support local farming.

However, it's not a major driver in my purchasing habits.