Discount clothes chains, like Primark, always do great business, especially at times of recession. So called “retail therapy” – the buying of consumer items to change the mood, appeals to many as a leisure activity and the cheaper the goods, the more often shoppers can go shopping.
Being careful with money and enjoying a bargain is one thing, but events like the 2013 fire in a factory in Bangladesh where thousands were killed and injured, remind us of the perilous conditions many textile workers face to produce the goods we consume. Can we justify our shopping habits if it means others suffer.
Perhaps we can make a New Year’s resolution to shop more ethically – to check the origins of our products and read company statements about how goods are sourced – and determine to buy fairly traded goods that pay a fair wage to farmers, producers and workers.
The parable of the sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-46) indicates that the righteous are those whose actions impact on the poor and disadvantaged:
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25: 40 [NIV]
Mairi Mowbray
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