Bonfire of the Brands

'People must stop buying and buying': "Dame Vivienne Westwood thinks we should all stop shopping for clothes... with so much fast fashion available to us, we are not giving ourselves the opportunity to develop good taste."
The sweatshop high street - more brands under fire: "India's largest ready-made clothing exporter, Gokaldas Export, which supplies brands including Marks & Spencer, Mothercare and H&M, confirmed that wages paid to garment workers were as low as £1.13 for a nine-hour day."
US babies get global brand names: "He also says that naming a child after a brand such as Armani or Chanel, associated with money or exclusivity, reflects the material hopes of such families."
Microsoft keeps top brand crown: "The greatest difference in voting positions between men and women confirms that women clearly rate high quality lifestyle brands whilst their male counterparts voted in considerably higher numbers for more everyday functional brands..."
All change: "The straightjacket that was once ´the brand manual´ is now more likely to be shorter, encouraging and have a lightness of touch rather than nine ring binders gathering dust on the shelf (the way they used to be)."
Changes to shopping behaviour: "People need stuff. Shopping is still a transactional, experiential pastime and this is where retail brands can arguably add the most, both in terms of reinforcing the brand message and being profitable."
Consistency in retail - is there ever too much?: "A coherent approach to the brand not only prevents confusion about what the brand stands for but it also helps to build consumer trust, which leads to customer experience being solid across the board."
Being Spaces & Brand Spaces: "There is a genuine opportunity to surpass the now ubiquitous ´flagship store´ (still seen as the most radical change in the world of retail branding), by offering something truly new to consumers who are not only looking for entertainment, but also for uniqueness, discovery, trying out, hanging out, empathy and even transformation."
Is that a fake in your pocket? Quite possibly..: "Last year just under 1 million people bought a counterfeit Louis Vuitton item, the study found."
(Still) Made Here: "Two mega-trends of our time, the greening of consumption and the proliferation of alternative status symbols, hold the promise of vast new riches for real-world entrepreneurs, while wreaking havoc on those that lag behind. Which brings us to the (STILL) MADE HERE trend: the comeback of all things local, all things with a sense of place, and how they´re surfacing in a world dominated by globalization."
When shopping becomes a drug: "One of the great myths is that addictive spending is defined by women racking up credit card debt in pursuit of closets full of clothes while we ignore Uncle Charlie "treating" his friends to nights on the town..."
How much mindless consumerism is enough: "One of the larger issues with making shopping available around the clock is it tricks people into believing shopping and consuming goods is a form of entertainment when it was once considered a necessity."

Where to Shop

Farmers Market Guide of UK – The only directory of inspected and genuine farmers’ markets in the UK!
» www.farmersmarkets.net

Local Food Works – Supports the re-establishment of viable human-scale farming, processing, distribution and marketing.
» www.localfoodworks.org

Ethical Delivery – Non-branded ethical food delivery.
» www.organicdelivery.co.uk

A Lot Of Organics – Non-branded ethical food delivery.
» www.alotoforganics.co.uk

Make Your Own Cosmetics – Homemade cosmetics recipes and links.
» www.makeyourowncosmetics.co.uk

Making Cosmetics – Cosmetic ingredients and containers supplies.
» www.makingcosmetics.com

Herbs Of Grace – 100% natural and vegan cosmetic ingredients.
» www.herbsofgrace.com

Indigo Clothing – Ethical non-branded clothing.
» www.indigoclothing.com

European Wear – Non-branded clothes supplier, sold mostly in bulk.
» europeanwear.com

Promotional Merchandise – Un-branded apparel at very cheap prices.
» www.promotional-merchandise.org.uk

The Costume Store – The secret weapon for non-branded fashion consumers. Keep this one secret.
» www.thecostumestore.co.uk

Surplus And Adventure – Online army surplus stores.
» www.surplusandadventure.com

The Army Store – More surplus supplies at reasonable prices.
» www.thearmystore.co.uk

No Sweat Apparel – Fare trade and mostly non-branded clothes.
» www.nosweatapparel.com

Wedge – UK Loyalty card for local independent shops.
» www.wedgecard.co.uk

Ethical Superstore – Ethical Shopping Online.
» www.ethicalsuperstore.com

Pregnancy Care Online – Brand-Free Child Rearing.
» www.pregnancycareonline.com

Recycle Now
» www.recyclenow.com

Simple Living, Frugal and Ethical consumer websites

Voluntary Simplicity – Resources, tools, examples and contacts for conscious, simple, healthy and restorative living.
» www.simpleliving.net

Low Budget Life – Fearsome frugality, anti-commercialism and more.
» www.lowbudgetlife.com

Frugal – Money saving ideas, and home recipes.
» www.frugal.org.uk

Ethical Consumer Magazine – Does exactly what it says on the tin.
» www.ethicalconsumer.org

Other Useful Sites

Counter-Ads – Provides computer programmes so you can block online ads.
» www.counter-ads.net

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Did You Know?

Top Shop and its parent company Arcadia refuse to sign up to Ethical Trading Initiative.

Tip #2

2. Separate wants from needs
Every time you’re waiting in line at the till, ask yourself do I really need this stuff? If the answer is no, put it back on the shelf. Life goes on.

Contact

Contact Neil via email at: